The Day the Whole World Slept
by Felicity Dream
Summary: Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away. Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a student, friends with Arthur and Morgana Pendragon. And yet it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her, and magic is involved. And when she thinks she's the reincarnation of the Merlin of legend...
1. If I Could Write Out My Own Dream

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, one-sided Gwen/Merlin…

**The Day the Whole World Slept  
**_Chapter One: If I Could Write Out My Own Dream_

Merlin sighed to herself, tapping the side of her pencil on her lap. She wished school would just be over, but time was ticking by slowly.

"And that, class, is why you don't fuck with chemicals," Edwin Muirden, the resident science teacher of all sciences, drawled with a sneer on his face. And even with the private school, he didn't care an inch about his use of vulgar language.

Gwen elbowed her lightly in the ribs. "Hey, are you ready for tonight's sleepover at Morgana's?"

The two sat together at a table, lab partners, while Morgana unfortunately had to suffer farther up with one of Arthur's lackeys flirting up a storm with her.

"As ready as I can," she gave a strained smile.

She rubbed at her eyes tiredly. She hadn't been sleeping well, dreams of an odd time haunting her nights. It was so ridiculous, that she even pictured herself as _the_ Merlin from the Arthurian legends. Which was crazy –that Merlin was supposed to be an old man with a long white beard. In her dreams, he was neither. Merlin was her, female, cold-hearted, powerful, youthful, but most of all dedicated entirely to King Arthur.

Like she said, crazy stuff.

"Ms. Amber, are you awake enough to answer the next question?" Edwin cut in, sneer still plastered onto his face.

She blushed steadily and shook her head, "I'm sorry, Mr. Muirden. I haven't been feeling well."

"Be that as it may, at least try to let some information sink into that useless brain of yours," he retorted, but a flash of worry appeared in his eyes before being wiped completely clean and he returned back to his usual creepy and jerky self.

It was unnoticeable and Merlin only caught it because she was becoming more observant as of late.

She thought nothing more of it as she returned to her morose state and watched the rain splatter outside in pouring torrents. School ended and she stood outside, staring blankly at the droplets of water.

"_You will listen to me, girl. You used this devilry to save Arthur. And you will continue to do so."_

That voice. It was so familiar. But she'd never heard it before.

She shook herself out of her daze, and started the long walk home in the rain. Lance was at football practice, which left her to walk home in the cold by herself. She couldn't really be bothered to care. Her mind was preoccupied with her thoughts, and she walked with no cover from the pouring waters above her.

"_For him, I would do anything. Even damn the rest."_

Merlin was an old man. All the legends said he was. He didn't serve as High Sorceress of Camelot, and he was he. Not a she.

So why did she feel as if the Arthurian legends were all wrong?

Her hair clung to her face and her clothing to her body, her backpack receiving the same treatment. She knew if it weren't for the cases she insisted on putting her stuff in, her stuff would be ruined. But at the moment, she'd didn't really care. It was as if she was numb.

"_I have lost so much…Ingraine…I know I am losing Arthur, and I'm not sure I ever truly had Morgana. I don't want to lose you as well."_

"_You are my only Queen and I will have no other bear my children."_

She smiled blankly and thought she was going insane.

* * *

She took a hot bath when she got home, changing into her pajamas and slipping into her bed, ignoring the gray and stormy weather outside. The weather had become worse than when she had been walking home. She hoped her brother was alright in football practice, as well as Morgana and Gwen since they were in cheerleading practice right alongside the team.

She ignored the part of her that wished for Arthur's wellness as well.

Her home phone rang and she answered it, wondering who it could be. Her mother was still at work, Gaius was at a doctor's convention for the month, so that left any of her friends or Lance.

"Merlin? Hey, practice is over! I'm coming over with Gwen to pick you up," Morgana's voice immediately chattered to her once she'd picked up the phone.

"Okay," she softly said, hanging up abruptly.

She lay back on her side on her bed, gazing blankly at her wall and seeing lightning flash violently outside her window. The lightning triggered another flashback.

"_I love you, Merlin. Please let me hear you say it," a handsome blond man murmured, holding her close as they lay in bed._

_Her long dark hair was tangled into calloused hands as he pulled her closer, roughly and desperately kissing her lips._

"_Say it," he ordered in a rough voice._

"_I love you," she replied with glazed eyes, and he laid her back onto the bed and began kissing a trail down her neck and ending in the valley between her breasts, before stopping and adjusting himself to position himself between her legs._

There was a loud and persistent knocking on her door, and she groggily climbed out of her bed and forcibly pushed the images out of her head. She must be going crazy. She didn't know who that was, and she certainly wouldn't be doing _that_ with just anyone.

She's never even seen the act before (no porn for her, no siree) and she may know the goings on, but her eyes were definitely virgin.

Oh God, her virgin _eyes_…

"Merlin! What's wrong with you? You look completely out of it," Morgana broke into her thoughts, beating her inside by finding the extra key.

Merlin shrugged, "Weird dreams. And I mean weird. It's alright though, Morgana. Let's just get to your house. I'll grab my stuff, and meet you in your car. Gwen's there?"

"Yeah, she fell asleep in the back."

"Okay, I'll be really quick."

Merlin sighed, running back up the stairs and grabbing the bag she'd prepared, hopping back down the stairs so she could run out and slide into the passenger seat of her friend's car. She glanced at the back and smiled at the picture of Gwen sprawled in the backseat, lightly snoring.

"Too bad. There's no way we can get Gwen up now, the little heavy sleeper that she is. I had this whole thing planned out to spend the entire night and stay up, and then sleep the day tomorrow," Morgana pouted.

"We could sleep tonight and stay up all of tomorrow and tomorrow night, then sleep it off Sunday?" Merlin suggested.

"Oh, if we must," the other girl reluctantly agreed.

At Morgana's home, the two of them helped carry Gwen up before Merlin came back for her bag. Since she was already in pajamas, she stayed up a little to wait for Morgana to change into hers, and then the girls went to bed.

But Merlin couldn't go to sleep. In fact, she only lay in bed, with her eyes wide open and staring at the wall in despair. She couldn't sleep. She didn't want to think. She hadn't been able to even relax for one second. So she got up and slipped out of Morgana's room, tentatively tiptoeing her way around and trying to see in the dark, with only the flashes of lightning outside for illumination. At least it wasn't raining anymore.

Merlin walked across the soft-carpeted hallway, feeling a little insomnia. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to Morgana's sleepover, not with the dreams she's been having…

Seeing a silhouette of someone on the balcony, she cautiously came closer.

"Mr. Pendragon?" she called out, finally recognizing the figure sitting at the edge of the balcony and peering into the sky.

She'd never seen the man before, at least not in person. She had, however, frequently seen the man in not only her friend's pictures but also on TV, the newspaper, and even embarrassingly enough tabloids. She studied him again and was more aware of his perch.

The balcony was dangerous because it had no railings, and with him sitting at the edge with his legs dangling over, he was in a precarious position that foreshadowed serious motives.

"I'm not here to kill myself, Ms. Amber," he called her out on her thoughts.

She blinked in surprise, but came closer and sat next to him, folding her legs closer to her and tucking her knees under her chin.

"Sorry…I just assumed…Um, just call me Merlin. Everyone does, Mr. Pendragon."

"How long have you been Morgana's friend? I may not have met you before, but the two of you have known each other since you were kids. Call me Uther."

She giggled, "That's kinda funny. Morgana and I _have_ been friends for a long time, and I've only met you now."

His lips twitched upward. "Yeah. Interesting fact. I do seem to feel like I know you already, however. With how much Morgana talks about you. And occasionally, so does little Gwen. Well…so does Arthur. In fact, my son speaks very fondly of you."

Merlin blushed terribly and muttered something under her breath. He laughed at her, but not cruelly, and she hesitantly smiled back and started to slowly laugh along with him.

"What do you like to listen to?" Uther asked casually, starting a minor conversation.

"Um, well I like just about anything. But the Beatles and John Lennon are my favorite," Merlin beamed.

Uther grinned back, "I love the Beatles. I prefer Paul over John though."

"What's your favorite song?" Merlin blurted out, feeling extremely happy for some reason.

"_Eleanor Rigby_. What about you?"

"_Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds_."

He grinned and sang the first sentence.

"Picture yourself in a boat on a river –"

"With tangerine trees and marmalade skies," she cut in.

"Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly," he sang back.

"A girl with kaleidoscope eyes," they both sang together.

For the rest of the night, she just sat there with him, talking about anything and everything. And she noticed, that as they talked, the sadness she saw in his eyes disappeared for then.

* * *

Merlin yawned, blinking sleepily at the front of the class and barely paying attention. Really now, it was hard to keep so focused. She was just so sleepy, and she blamed those stupid dreams for making her so tired all the time.

She even blamed them for making her rent that stupid Arthurian legends encyclopedia.

She sighed and slumped in her chair, idly glancing outside the class. She blinked and sat up straight, leaning to get a closer look and not believing her eyes. Squinting, she tried to get a clearer view.

There was a woman standing in the middle of the street _staring_ at her.

Merlin gulped and nervously clenched and unclenched her right hand over and over. The woman just kept staring, seeming to actually be staring straight into Merlin's eyes. The strange woman wore a tattered scarlet dress, had no shoes on, and electric blue eyes that seemed to scream that they knew all of the universe's secrets.

She could hear a car coming fast, directly in the woman's direction, and she stumbled upwards in a panic, lurching over to the window.

The woman smirked at her and the car drove right into her.

But Merlin blinked in confusion, because the car sped passed and there was no sign of the woman. No body. No woman there at all. No sign that she had even been there.

"Ms. Amber, are you alright?" Edwin stared at her suspiciously, but she noticed the tenseness of his posture and the worried flash in his eyes.

Then she took note of herself.

Without even looking at herself in a mirror, she could tell she was a mess. Her school uniform was rumpled and looked slept in, her hair was carelessly put up, there were bags under her eyes, and if it was possible –she actually looked paler than usual. Her normally bright golden eyes were dim and almost seem to look like a sickly yellow in certain lighting, and her posture screamed exhaustion, at the same time that her shoulders maintained a perpetual slump.

This was not accounting the fact that she'd abruptly stood up in class, drawing attention to herself, and apparently unhearing of her teacher having tried to call her several times before he finally managed to reach her just now. Or that she had a wild look in her eyes and that she looked like a cornered animal.

She straightened up with a wince and nervously patted down her front, licking her lips uncertainly.

"Um, sorry, Mr. Muirden. I'm fine. I was just…I thought I saw something," she muttered the last part.

A look of panicked surprise and a bit of anxiety flashed briefly through his eyes, though no one but she had caught it. She didn't understand it.

Then his face blanked out and he nodded curtly at her.

"Try not to make it a habit of disrupting the class, Ms. Amber," he drawled. "Meet me after class, please."

She sighed inwardly, but nodded to him in confirmation.

Class soon passed by quicker after that, and then suddenly she was in front of his desk with the usually caustic teacher slumping over his desk and leaning his forehead against his hand, his eyes closed tightly.

"Mr. Muirden?" she tentatively called out for his attention.

"Just…hold on, Ms. Amber," he muttered, not looking up just yet.

When he finally did, he'd narrowed his eyes at her and was studying her closely, making her more nervous than earlier and anxious about what was going on. He opened a drawer to his desk and brought out a piece of paper, handing it to her. She blinked in confusion and stared down at the paper, trying to make sense of it and also understand why he'd handed it to her.

"Mr. Muirden, what is this?" she questioned, more than just a little lost.

"That is for you to find out," he answered confusingly. "You must understand that formula. Understand and decipher it, especially its importance. When you do, you will understand it and everything else. You have until the end of the school year, and you mustn't waste time. Everything depends on you, Merlin."

He actually called her by her nickname, making things even stranger.

"And beware of those you feel a connection with, whose presence seem to cause what feels like a mild electric charge searing through your skin and almost seem to pull you in like gravity," he finished quietly.

Merlin almost flinched in front of him, not knowing how he'd known she sometimes felt that with some people. Like earlier with that woman, despite the distance…

Or even the times when she was around Edwin Muirden. Strange how he seemed to be warning her against even himself.

Started 9/29/09 –Completed 6/20/10

A/n: Long time no see, eh Merlin fans? Yeah, I haven't given up on "The Day the Whole World Went Away" for those of you who are worrying. I'm just having a huge, and I mean HUGE block concerning the next episode I have to write for. And when I have a block, I tend to procrastinate and push it away until I get like a huge burst of inspiration or I force myself to come up with something. So here's to hoping I get that out soon, huh? But at least you can content yourselves with the first chapter of the semi-parallel sequel. It's short, but at least it meets my minimum requirements.


	2. The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)...

**The Day the Whole World Slept  
**_Chapter Two: The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes_

"Could you get out of my way?"

"Depends. Can I get your number?"

"No," Merlin rolled her eyes.

Arthur pouted. But he looked around and his cocky demeanor sort of lightened and he gave a kind of embarrassed and rather shy grin that took her aback. She started turning red at it, but she remained scowling and kept her narrowed eyes.

"Can…can I take you out tomorrow for a date?" Arthur tried something else and she gaped at him.

How did he make the jump from asking for her number to asking for a date? If she said no to the first, the second would be guaranteed a negative!

"Well…" Wait, why was she considering it? She should be saying no to him straight away.

But then he looked hopefully at her and she kind of crumbled and shrugged.

"Fine. Tomorrow at seven. Wherever you want."

Arthur was beaming at her, and she couldn't help the small smile she replied with.

"Great! You won't regret it! I'll have Morgana text you where later, 'kay? Bye, Merlin!" Arthur was practically skipping away, she noted in amusement.

She spent the rest of the time in school in a daze, though occasionally her mind would wander back to the dreams she was still having. Instead of fighting them and worrying about them, she accepted and just watched them. She filed them away, even writing it down in some kind of dream journal, and she slept all the better for it.

Was it strange that it was actually Mr. Muirden who'd given her that advice?

He'd idly commented, one day after school as he passed her desk, that "strange dreams were best left to be accepted and moved on from, instead of fighting them and practically clinging to them so much it becomes unhealthy. It doesn't do well to dwell in dreams and forget to live in reality and the present."

It had been very cryptic and worrying, especially how he'd even known about her dreams at all or that she was having any. Still, she'd done well from his advice and was sleeping and feeling better now. She no longer had circles under her eyes, or felt tired all the time, or like she was going insane.

She dreamt of Arthur, _King_ Arthur, and felt herself fall in love with a fictitious man from her dreams. Sometimes, she wished the Arthur here would be more like him –respectful, less of a bully, less arrogant, a gentleman…

But he wasn't real and her Arthur liked to mess around with women and pick on those younger than him.

Sometimes, she wished Arthur was more like his father. It's been three months since she met him officially, and she had more in common and got along more with him. They both liked The Beatles, ate the same type of pies, and it was much easier to talk and relate to Uther than she could with Arthur.

That didn't mean she disliked Arthur, of course. As much as she hated to admit it, she was still fond (and maybe just the slightest in love with) of the blond as she had been when she first met him in 4th grade…

The bell rang for the last class of the day and she quickly hurried to the library. She was surprised to see Mr. Muirden lazily sprawled on the chair at the desk.

"Mr. Muirden –"

"Call me Edwin when not in class and we're alone," he cut her off, not even looking up at the book he was reading.

"E-Edwin," she didn't want to admit that she already called him that in her head, for some strange reason… "Um, I was going to check this in and then look for similar books."

She handed him the Arthurian legends encyclopedia she'd been reading and had finally finished. He only raised an eyebrow at it, before taking the book and dumping it into the pile of books that needed to be checked back into inventory.

"If you want to read 'certifiable' and 'absolute' sources looking into the Arthurian legends, you should read _Le Morte D'Arthur _and _Historia Regum Brittaniae_. The latter being the 'first' and most looked at source, and the first being considered the most 'complete' version of King Arthur's life. But I think both are a bunch shit. No one really knows anything and that's why it's all 'legends'. For all we know, _Merlin_ could've been a woman."

Merlin's head jerked back to his direction and she stared at him wide-eyed, but he seemed focused on his book and like he wasn't going to say anything more. She swallowed heavily.

"Thank you, Mr. –Edwin," she corrected herself quietly.

She set out for the books and found them, though it took her awhile. She started paging through the "The History of the Kings of Britain", the English translation of the chronicles, though there were several volumes for it. She figured she should start with that first and work her way through it, and then start _Le Morte D'Arthur_.

"Those are in-library copies only, meant for research. You can't take them out," Edwin suddenly said and she grimaced, inwardly disappointed. "I have copies you can borrow," he said indifferently.

And though he looked to be immersed in his book, she had the feeling he was completely hyper-aware of her.

"_Seeing auras," she started hesitantly, "can that be taught?"_

"_It is a skill that one must be born with," he began with a wince. "But I do believe one you have. We just need to unlock it, much like I had."_

"_When can we start?" Merlin asked eagerly. _

_He chuckled, "You may come here after my dinner with the King. It is a skill quickly unlocked. I can even teach you a few other things after."_

_She gave him the first smile with warmth in it._

Merlin flinched and brought a hand to her head, feeling her head start to throb painfully. She blinked away tears and looked up at her teacher.

"_Yes, that's it. Move your hand…and there!"_

_Merlin watched in fascination as a trail of lightning moved behind her hand as she moved into a small wave._

"_It's beautiful…" she whispered._

_Edwin observed her quietly, a small smile on his lips._

"…_Very beautiful," he murmured in agreement, still watching her._

"Look at me, Edwin."

Merlin was confused; that had burst out of her and she didn't even know why. However, it had caught the attention of her teacher, who'd stiffened up at her command. He slowly moved to straighten up, and then reluctantly look at her. She knew she looked obviously confused and even a little scared, but she'd said it (even if she didn't know why) and now there wasn't any going back.

He must've seen something in her, because after a moment of dispassionately observing her, he began to speak. But the more he spoke, the less dispassionate he actually seemed.

"You know," his voice cracked. "I feel kind of stupid for going about the way I did. You were…one of the best things that happened to me. It just happened a little too late. I'm sorry…I cared more about revenge…than the one good thing that happened in my life."

Merlin stared at him in disbelief, growing more confused and not understanding a thing he was saying.

_He coughed out blood and smiled at her, eyes dark. "You've been taught well."_

_She didn't say anything, knowing she could've said Gaius had taught her well or even Uther. But she acknowledged his part in teaching her, so said nothing._

"_He will die within hours. It's too late for the King."_

"_I will save him," she stated firmly._

"_We could've been great together. We could've ruled this kingdom as one…bring magic back, as it should be," he coughed out again, and blood dribbled down his mouth._

"_My destiny is at Arthur's side," she said softly. "Serving him willingly and watching over him for as long as I can. And to that end, my loyalty extends to Uther."_

"_Shame," and he closed his eyes and died without another word._

"I'm sorry that I couldn't feel the same way for you," she whispered, and she grew even more confused at what she was saying in reply and why she'd said it.

They awkwardly looked away from each other, before he went back to his book and she went back to hers, trying to avoid more conversation.

She was beyond confused at what had happened. He was irritated for losing control.

In the end, not much work was getting done when she was lost in the face of saying things she couldn't possibly understand or comprehend where they came from or truly meant, and he was lost in the literal past.

To make up for the strange encounter and unable to put meaning behind it, she quietly put aside the books she'd been working on and sat next to him at the desk, beginning to do his temp work for him, silently taking books and scanning them, and putting them back into the system. A second later, he took the scanner from her and he scanned the next book, while she started to just hand the books to him.

When the pile was gone, she thought she could get back to work. She stared blankly at the pages before she cowardly ran away, incapable of facing the aftermath of saying things she didn't understand.

He sat stiffly in the silent and empty library, closing the book he'd been recreating of his work for her.

* * *

Merlin had ended up going to a nearby ice-cream parlor, ordering a sundae for herself in agitation. Once she'd gotten it, she found a seat outside and began to eat to comfort herself. She put the incident out of her head, disturbed and upset about it enough without continuing to brood about it. Her phone rang and she went to look at the caller id morosely. She brightened up immediately.

"Uther!" she answered eagerly. "You called! Why are you calling?"

On the other side, he was grinning at his phone, hiding behind a tall potted plant and glancing at his watch. He took a sip of his coffee.

"Bored. Stuck in a stupid meeting and we just got on break. I decided I'd call to see how you're doing."

Merlin's smile stretched across her face. "I'm eating ice-cream. I was having…a weird day," she replied vaguely, not really wanting to worry her older friend. "Sundae, hot fudge splatter, cherry on top –the works."

"Ugh, I wish I was there," Uther sighed. "I'd rather be eating ice-cream with you than suffer through this meeting. I'd swear they're trying to give me a heart attack."

"Don't say that," she snapped at him, even harsher than she'd meant to say it.

"…Sorry," he genuinely spoke. "I was just joking. I'm sorry for upsetting you. I didn't mean it."

"No, I'm sorry," she said embarrassedly. "I didn't mean to overreact. I just…don't like you talking like that."

He cleared his throat through the awkwardness. "Anyways…I hear you have a _date_."

Merlin's smile turned sardonic. "Yes, I suppose Arthur already told you."

Uther laughed. "It's brilliant! I've been saying it all along. I told you to start dating my son already."

"Uther Pendragon, have you been trying to set me up with your son?" she asked him mock-seriously.

He snorted. "Wasn't it obvious? Now, I've convinced Arthur to take you out to that one restaurant –the five-star one on Montpelier Street –"

"No, no, that's too expensive," she interrupted, becoming embarrassed.

"Nonsense," he said dismissively. "Morgana and Arthur's treated you out before, and I know for a fact that Gaius loves spoiling you and taking you to places like that. Just because it's a date shouldn't make it any different. It'll be all romantic –you know, like the movies."

"This isn't a movie," she muttered, before sighing in resignation. "Okay, whatever."

"Good, good," he said in satisfaction. "I'll pay for everything. My tab will be on there, so just order whatever you want. And enjoy your time with Arthur. I'll have George pick you up and drop you off at the restaurant, and Arthur can drive you home, since he has practice late and will probably be panicking getting ready in time for you and worry about picking you up in time at the same time. It'll be for both our sakes that he gets enough time to primp."

They both shared a laugh at that.

"Reservations are in his name. Have fun," he told her fondly.

"Thanks, Uther. I think I might."

"Okay. I have to go now –meeting's starting up in a minute unfortunately. Talk to you later."

"'Kay, bye," her voice was subdued, but she hung up before he could have a chance to question her about it.

She sighed and looked at her phone tiredly, feeling herself slip back into her earlier depressed state.

The next day, she felt completely jittery and actually a little excited. She was going to have a date with Arthur. Despite his jerkiness to most people and sometimes to her, she really did like him and was looking forward to this date she was going to have with him.

Only…without having to be sidelined by her brother and dragged down to the bleachers. Hiding underneath them, the siblings sat side by side, knees curled up as they leaned against each other.

"What's up, _Lancelot_?" she teased her brother with his nickname.

He pinched her quickly, which she temporarily squirmed away at.

"Nothing," he frowned. "I just want to spend some time with my baby sister. We never hang out anymore and I know I haven't been around. I miss you, you know? I just wanted to be with you for a sec."

Merlin's face softened for Lance and she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Sorry, Lance. I haven't been around either. I miss you too. We should find some way to just…spend time together. Just us. Sibling time, yeah? We should set aside a time."

Lance smiled a little. "Yeah, sounds good to me. I miss my sis…So, I hear you have a date with Arthur tonight, huh?" it was his turn to tease.

Her face flushed red. "Yeah. He's going to take me out to a restaurant."

Lance grinned. "Aw, my baby sister is getting all grown up on me. Do you want me to have a talk with Arthur and give him the big brother obligatory threats?"

"Lance!" she hit his shoulder.

He laughed and then tossed himself at her, stretching his fingers out and beginning to tickle her into submission.

"You're a horrible brother!"

"No! Say I'm the best! Or else I won't stop."

"Ahhhh, okay, okay! Lance, you're the best brother ever! So stop tickling me!"

He relented and they both lay back on the ground, staring up at the underside of the bleachers in happy exhaustion.

"But seriously," Lance spoke up. "Should I go to Arthur and warn him not to hurt you and stuff? 'Cause you know I will and I won't regret a thing."

"No, Lance," she turned her head and smiled at him fondly. "It's okay. I have a feeling it's going to be great."

And she was so excited for it, the day passed by in a blur. School seemed like one huge haziness, and soon enough it was over and she was at home, getting ready. She worried about what outfit she was going to wear, considering the high-class place she was going to dine at, and realized she couldn't really skimp on the fanciness. She worriedly tore through her wardrobe and realized that she probably had nothing to wear that would be right.

Picking the nicest dress she had, she focused instead on her makeup and her hair, glad her mom was out and wouldn't see her daughter uncharacteristically worrying about her appearance and of the fact that Merlin had a date. Just when she finished, the doorbell rang just in time. Hurrying as fast as she could, she opened the door to see George the driver (and butler and secretary and nanny and sometimes cook and – she cut herself off…) smiling at her and holding up a long black bag.

"Mr. Pendragon sends his regards and a dress, with his exact words being 'she's probably 'freaking' out over what to wear so send this right over'," George quoted dryly. "He wishes you fun with his son, and hopefully an evening well spent."

"Aw, thanks, George," she grinned, pecking the elderly man's cheek. She took the dress and asked him to wait a second so she could switch dresses, and then she was being driven off.

She stared in awe at the restaurant, slowly getting out of the limo with George helping her out. She thanked him and bid him goodbye, before hesitantly going into the restaurant. Asking for Arthur's reservations, she was quickly sat down and given a menu.

She thought she should maybe wait a little for Arthur's arrival. But half an hour into her wait, and there was still no sign of Arthur. She reluctantly ordered and thought that she would just have to gloat about her food when Arthur came late and had to wait for his to come…

Only, a full hour since her arrival and still no Arthur Pendragon.

Embarrassedly, she knew that people were starting to look in her direction. Even more embarrassingly, she had tears prickling in her eyes. Though she finished her food, she didn't think she tasted it at all.

And when she got dessert she hadn't even ordered, she mockingly laughed at herself in her head. She was getting a _sympathy dessert_…

The whole restaurant, staffers and diners, they were all looking sympathetically at the pathetic girl stood up by her date and eating all by her lonesome. Merlin felt like she could crawl under a rock and just die.

"Hi…I didn't think a pretty girl like yourself should be dining alone. Though I'm sorry I wasn't able to come sooner," a smooth voice spoke to her and she looked up miserably, seeing a handsome man with dark hair and crystal blue eyes, who seated himself on the other side of the table from her.

She didn't answer him, waiting for him to actually say what he wanted.

"So…you want to finish that dessert by yourself?" he gave her a dry grin.

She gave a half-hearted shrug, and thought 'whatever', nudging a fork towards him.

"You know…I was in a dinner meeting, and the entire time I couldn't help but look over here and think 'Who was the idiot who stood up that lovely lady?' Because it had to be an idiot to have stood you up," this time, he managed a small smile from her. "Now there you go –a pretty smile from a pretty lady. Much more suiting."

"He's more of a prat than an idiot, I think," she hesitantly said.

He smirked. "Prat's good too. So what's a guy got to do to get a name from a pretty girl like yourself?"

"My name's Merlin…Marilyn actually, but I prefer Merlin," her smile grew stronger, though it was still small.

He took her hand and kissed it, never taking his pretty crystal blue gaze from her.

"Merlin, my name is Tristan de Bois and I'd like to spend the rest of the night in your lovely presence."

Started 9/23/12 –Completed 9/23/12

A/n: So y'all will probably just want the update, so I'm sorry I didn't go and reply to everyone. Hope everyone enjoyed this and please review! I hope everyone still likes this…


	3. Just a Little Taste

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)…

**The Day the Whole World Slept**  
_Chapter Three: Just a Little Taste_

Merlin didn't know what to say to that. She'd nearly gaped at him, but had managed to keep it to a disbelieving stare. And then she started turning red and looking down, flattered and unsure of what was a good response.

"If it's alright?" he asked to be sure, voice hopeful.

And Merlin's breath hitched and she looked shyly at him.

"That…that would be nice. We could…talk for a bit…finish this dessert…um, if that's good with you," Merlin was uncertain and floundering. This had never happened to her before. Being stood up for a date (granted, she's never actually been on a date before), having some guy flirting with her (one, a very handsome man, and two, the only one who's ever attempted flirting with her had been Arthur –and she did _not_ want to think about him right now), and actually the center of a man's focus and having such flattering attention on her.

Despite being pretty and popular, when it came to talking or socializing, people gravitated towards Morgana (the social butterfly) or Gwen (sweet and kind, but more social than Merlin that was for sure). Merlin admitted she could be a bit of a wallflower…

"Fantastic," Tristan's smile was slick and confident, and her eyes couldn't help darting a glance at his soft-looking, enticing lips.

Well, this was strange. Why was she acting so strange? She couldn't ever recall ever having such a reaction to anyone before…Admittedly, her focus had always been on other things than boys…

"Just let me order another dessert, since this looks to be about finished," he hailed over a waiter, ordering the German hazelnut slice of pie and another glass of the red wine he'd brought over with him.

"I," she turned red again. "I don't know how you could have noticed me at all, especially when you'd been in a meeting earlier. I would hardly constitute any attention."

He put down his wine glass elegantly and he leaned over the table, closer to her.

"That's where you're mistaken," he murmured, hand briefly reaching out to caress her hand. "I was utterly distracted the whole meeting, from the first moment my eyes caught sight of you."

Oh, her face was going to turn permanently red.

She was blushing entirely by then and couldn't help staring at him wide-eyed.

"I wanted to skip the meeting and head straight over to here, and give a lonely-looking and pretty lady some company. The entire time, I kept looking over here, eager to be done with the meeting and hope that I wouldn't be too late to introduce myself to someone as enrapturing as you. I disliked seeing you here by yourself, obviously stood up by your date, and had the strongest urge to come to you and be your solace. If I hadn't had to put up with that meeting, I would have come sooner to you, milady."

Such an old-fashioned and gentlemanly address had her face continuing to flame red.

"Still, it seems you're captured by my looks," she shot back challengingly. "You hardly know me."

But Tristan's lips only twisted into a sly grin, not seemingly bothered by the accusation.

"That I never denied, have I? From afar, it was all I could gather," he smoothly hooked his hand around one of hers, and then held it up gently, cradling it with such care. "But I deeply wish to have the chance to know you far more…intimately."

Her breath caught in her throat and she started feeling even shier than she'd started being with him.

"Sorry," he apologized with a wry grin. "That had come out much with much more innuendo than was actually meant. Your likes and dislikes are what I aim for at the least, for the moment."

She laughed lightly, feeling at ease with him, despite the odd and somewhat difficult conversation they were going through to get to know each other. Though it was more awkward and strange than difficult, mostly due to her inexperience and uncertainty with such things…

Even spending another hour at the restaurant with Tristan, and Merlin still saw absolutely no sign of Arthur. No call, text, or message to show he was late or not coming, and she was left there feeling foolish, and yet slowly feeling better by being near this stranger she just met.

They finished the second dessert he'd ordered and he'd just hailed over the waiter for the check, when the waiter mentioned something she had almost forgotten about.

"May I have the check?" Tristan politely requested. He smiled slightly at her. "I'll pay for your dinner."

"Ah, there's no need, sir," the waiter interrupted hesitantly. "It's been paid prior, on a tab."

Tristan's eyebrows raised and Merlin blinked, before remembering what Uther had told her.

"Oh, that's right. The, um, father of my date had had everything sure to be paid for," she uncomfortably revealed, though she didn't want to think about that and Uther because that meant she had to think about Arthur and the failed date.

Tristan's eyebrows raised a little higher before he was back to smoothly smiling at her and nodded.

"Oh, well. Okay," then (she might be mistaken) his eyes darkened and he leaned closer to her. "I did ask to spend the rest of the night in your presence."

She was going to start floundering again. Her heart picked up and she was sure her blush was never going to go away.

"You know, I'm quite familiar with the nightlife of New York," he murmured, licking his lips slightly. "Would you like me to show you how the night really lives?"

Maybe he was still a stranger and maybe she shouldn't be contemplating going anywhere with someone she just met and didn't really know…but she was still feeling humiliated, upset, and a little rebellious about everything and with everyone, and a little vengeful against Arthur.

And Morgana had always said that Merlin had the tendency to be a bit boring at times and a little 'safe'. Well, she'd prove her wrong this time.

"Okay," she breathed out, still unsure but eager at the same time.

And then she was practically hopping all over New York, visiting nightclubs and shows and places and having her eyes opened to all the different sorts of experiences one can have in the city, and feeling high off the experience as much as she was practically culture-shocked.

As his warm, comfortable hands settled around her waist and her back was pulled perfectly fit against his front as they swayed to an intimate dance in the club they were currently in, music blaring, adrenaline and the miniscule amount of alcohol swimming through her veins, Merlin wondered if she should tell Tristan she wasn't really old enough to be in the club, much less drinking, or even being with him.

Meanwhile, Edwin stared dumbfounded at the scrying bowl that was weakly powered, watching the incarnation of his murderess. This was _not_ how it goes. If he lost Merlin to anyone, it was supposed to be Arthur. It had always been Arthur! What was this? How could this be happening? Most lives, from past to reincarnations, there was always parallels.

Tristan de Bois had been dead in Camelot by the time Merlin had come about. How would the two of them, now in this world and time, be so strongly attracted to each other and gravitate so easily to each other like this, when they'd never had a prior connection or bond in their original lives?

Parallels. It was parallels. So why was this happening now and what was going on?

He grimaced and searched out one of his books, knowing he was going to have to look into this. He'd also probably have to dig through his memories and think if there could have possibly ever been some kind of connection formed before…

He spent the night on his work, and Merlin had only been shown half the places Tristan had thought of. And by the time they were done, it was 3 in the morning and Merlin was too tired and just the slightest drunk to say anything about crashing at his penthouse.

The morning brought about a different response however.

Nine in the morning and Merlin thought she was dreaming. She was beginning to panic at her unknown surroundings, glad at least she was fully clothed, though not wearing the dress she'd been wearing last night. A white dress shirt and some boxers were more comfortable than sleeping in the dress (and she wouldn't have wanted to ruin or mess it up in any way, considering Uther had bought it for her), but it still made her nervous to know she'd been changed out of her own clothing and that her memory was slow to come back. It was, but too slow for her to be comfortable at the moment.

"Breakfast?" Tristan walked through the door, holding a tray with breakfast and two mugs of coffee.

Her mouth went dry, seeing him in only his boxer shorts and naked chest. She averted her eyes, feeling the return of her blush.

"Don't worry –nothing happened, I promise," Tristan spoke dryly and she gave him a sheepish smile, accepting her mug of coffee and helping steady the tray and put it onto the bed.

When he'd sat down beside her, she'd thought nothing of it until he leaned closer and started kissing her thoroughly. She'd been surprised and still, until she moved into the kiss and practically melted into him. With her memory becoming clearer, she embarrassedly remembered that she'd made out with him _several_ times last night.

"So…today is Saturday," he announced smugly. "What do you want to do? Because you have me at your beck and call to do as you will. You have me for all of today," he promised.

It was at once both teasing and sincere, that it had her smiling widely and feeling appreciative.

"I live here and all, but I've…never been to the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty," she said shyly.

He blinked at her before shrugging and smiling lazily. "Ah, but then again I haven't either. I live here also, but I tend to travel a lot so I've never really gone there either. 'Kay, Tourist –we're sightseeing today."

She laughed freely and they ate the rest of their breakfast companionably, with small talk in between.

"So, I have a call to make. You can take a shower through there," he pointed at a door. "And I'll meet up with you after. I bought some clothes from the little shop next door, after you went to sleep first last night, thinking it might be prudent for you to go around in regular clothing than a formal dress the next day–and I doubt a dress shirt and boxers would be any better," Tristan winked at her.

She grinned widely and he left to go make his call. Immediately, she searched out her phone and scrolled through her contacts list for Uther, forgetting she had him on her favorites.

Sliding her cell open, her fingers flew over the keyboard as she walked automatically to his bathroom, closing it behind her and locking it as she focused on her text, just noticing she had a bunch of missed calls.

_Please call Mom and tell her I'm at your house?_

She bit her lip as she waited for the return text, knowing he always replied quickly to her.

_Merlin? What's going on? Where are you?_

She winced.

_I'm at a friend's. I'm okay._ She hesitated at what to put, but she decided on 'friend'. It wasn't…_untrue_.

_No, it's –ugh. Fine. I'll do it. About Arthur, I'm really sorry about him._

She immediately text a quick reply to cut him off from his probable second part of his text, turning on the shower straight after.

_It's okay. Don't care. Thanks. TTYL._

She sighed and gently put her phone, rubbing the palm of her hand against her forehead. Then she started to strip and get into the shower, finally noticing the bathroom.

"Holy crap."

The place looked like one of those awesome Vegas special suite bathrooms, marble counter/floors and all. There was a separate tub to the side, large enough to fit in at least four of her, and the shower she was in had see-through glass surrounding it, surrounding showerheads, and a…electronic system. She furrowed her eyebrows at it, walking closer and curiously touching it. It was on a preset setting and she immediately sighed in bliss at the water turning into a more massaging setting and Green Day playing in the background.

In the back of her mind, a miniature her was brooding in the corner, miserable at the fact that she seemed to have rich people gravitate towards her. She was pouting, she admitted it to herself. She didn't want to look like some kind of gold digger, dammit…

Again, she wondered if she should tell him that she'd just turned 17. She hadn't the night before because she'd thought she would never see him again, and that it was supposed to be just one reckless night she was going to have, with no one the wiser. She just hadn't counted crashing at his place and deciding to even spend the day with him (she hadn't really thought he wanted to still be near her or spend time with her, or _choose_ to spend yet again more time with her –or her feeling the same way). His offer had surprised her, but more so that either one of them had even wanted to still be together after a fantastic night that she hadn't thought would go further than that.

But apparently they were going to have a Saturday outing, in the daytime and surrounded by plenty of others. Like a normal time. Like a normal _couple _time. Like a date.

It was the complete opposite of what the night had been, a night 'adventure' that had never meant to go beyond what it was, with a guy she never expected to see again (due more to her thinking he wouldn't care to see her again, but also because she had no big expectations about running into him in a big city like that and with the two of them hardly saying enough about themselves to be able to find the other again), and having no idea what the future had in store for the two of them.

Merlin hurriedly finished in the shower and then stepped out, grabbing a towel and rubbing herself down quickly. She left the bathroom to go searching for the clothes he'd mentioned he'd gotten her, over in his bedroom, only for her to be caught in just her towel by him. His eyes ran appreciatively down her body, smirking at her teasingly.

"Well, here's the clothes. I gather we could go to another shop further away and get you more nicer clothing, but these will have to do for now until we can make it to one, and you can change there."

But seeing the cheesy and common 'I heart NY' t-shirt and the simple beige cargo shorts had her smiling and willingly grabbing onto them from him.

"No, these are fine," she smiled reassuringly at him. "I'm a 'tourist', right?" she teased him. "Tourist clothing is fitting then."

He laughed and came closer to her, hands gently trailing and wiping off water droplets clinging to her shoulders. She swallowed heavily and felt rather funny.

"Tristan, I have something to tell you," she whispered in a rush, slender hands gripping onto his muscled arms, even as he was planting distracting kisses around her neck and jaw.

"Hm?" he hummed against her skin.

"I'm 17," she blurted out and felt him practically freeze up against her, lips still touching her neck and hands still firmly gripped on her hips.

She nearly went into shock when a moment later he'd gone back to his administrations without further pauses.

"Well, that's certainly inconvenient," he murmured against her. "But not too troubling. I do, after all, still very like you and enjoy your company. Your age is rather trivial in the face of that. The age is bothersome, but at least we're in New York."

She blinked in confusion, though still enjoying his attentions and relieved about the age thing.

"What does New York have to do with anything?"

He laughed lightly, pulling back from her and going back to smirking rather playfully at her.

"Age of consent is 17 in New York," he winked mischievously.

She laughed, knowing he was having fun teasing and trying to provoke some kind of flustered response from her, but even more relieved that at least she wasn't going to get him arrested.

And then she started to become flustered, the reaction delayed as she sputtered, turned red, and shyly averted her eyes to everywhere but him.

* * *

Arthur groaned, feeling his head killing him. He lifted himself heavily from the couch he'd collapsed in, looking around with bleary eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember the night before, and remembering that the team had finished practice and there'd been a party at Percival's to celebrate the coming of Homecoming.

He felt the couch he was in be shoved rather roughly, confusedly seeing Lancelot trounce pass him without another glance.

"What's eating you, _Lancelot_?" he mocked, grinning slightly.

His confusion upped when his fellow teammate didn't answer him and continued on his way out of the house. Grumbling now about weird teammates and his stupid headache, he got up himself and reluctantly walked through the living room (where he'd been) and through the foyer, planning on getting home as soon as possible. He was happy that the drive there had been uneventful, and could trudge into his house in relief and hope that he could rest through his hangover and not be bothered.

Instead, an eager Morgana and even his father were sitting in the kitchen, enthusiastic and impatient for him to come and them to practically attack him.

"So, how did it go?" Morgana immediately demanded.

Arthur blinked at her in confusion.

Uther interrupted. "I know I should be disapproving and whatnot, because staying out late and probably renting a room for 'it' isn't something most parents should be happy about, but I hope you were a gentleman and was safe?"

"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Arthur cut in by then.

"Your date," Morgana rolled her eyes. "You know, with Merlin."

Arthur's face drained of color. "My…date…with Merlin."

Morgana and Uther froze, staring at him.

"Tell me, Arthur," Uther started in disbelief. "You went, didn't you? You ate with her in the restaurant, right? You didn't do something stupid, did you? Stupider than sleeping with her?"

Arthur stayed quiet.

Morgana stomped over to him, reeling back from smell of alcohol still clinging to him.

"You-you stupid boy!" she screeched. "Don't tell me you were out partying last night and drinking too much to remember you had a date with the girl you've been trying to date since freshmen year! I can't believe you! You're so stupid and immature and irresponsible," she ranted. "No wonder Merlin never said yes to you before! She was bloody right not to! I hope she never says yes to you ever again!"

Angrily, Morgana stalked away from him and out of the kitchen, loudly being heard going all the way to her room. Arthur cringed and also looked away from his father, not wanting to see how his father looked then.

"Arthur…" his father's tone was more than just disappointed and he flinched visibly. "Right now, I'm just really upset. I _am_ angry, but I'm more upset now. I'll probably be angrier later, and I'll yell at you later when you can appreciate it and not have that headache I know you have…but I can't even calm myself down at the moment. Just…go to your room. Sleep off your hangover, but you're not allowed to do anything else. Just…_go_."

The blond fled from there, inwardly cursing himself with each step. Uther just sighed tiredly before practically lunging for his phone and tapping into his favorites for Merlin's number, calling her. After repeatedly calling with no answer, and increasingly becoming worried each time no one answered the phone, he was starting to panic and think that something might have happened to her the night before.

He was genuinely and extremely relieved to receive her text after 10 minutes of straight calling with nothing in return.

_Please call Mom and tell her I'm at your house?_

His eyes widened at the request, wondering why on earth would she be asking that and why would Merlin want to lie to her mother? It was especially unlike her. He wasted no time texting a reply, feeling his worry double.

_Merlin? What's going on? Where are you?_

He waited impatiently for a reply, reading it immediately when he got it.

_I'm at a friend's. I'm okay._

He frowned. It sounded off to him and Merlin would have told him which friend. And as far as he knew, from what Morgana, Gwen, Arthur, and even Merlin herself said, Merlin didn't really have too big a circle of friends and was relegated to mostly that mentioned group. Morgana and Arthur were obviously out, and Morgana had informed him that Gwen was going to finally go on a tentative date with Lance that day, after seeing Merlin actually finally accept Arthur's invitation –though now, all parties knowing or involved probably were regretting that.

_No, it's –ugh. Fine. I'll do it. About Arthur, I'm really sorry about him._

He regrettably texted. He didn't really want to lie to Hunith or do this particular cover up, especially if Merlin was in trouble or something. And he was also regretting Arthur's part in it. He was about to text more apologies on his and Arthur's behalf when he received another text from her.

_It's okay. Don't care. Thanks. TTYL._

He winced, practically hearing the cool tone in that. He wanted to demand more answers, find out where she was or just something other than her emphasis on her okay well-being (which did the opposite of reassuring him), but didn't want to seem pushy. Instead, he resignedly texted one last message.

_Okay. Still sorry. Anyways, I don't want to look naggy or act like your father…but promise you'll text every hour so I know you're okay from whatever you're doing and wherever you are? I'll be worrying otherwise and it'll help._

He hesitated before adding one last text.

_Be safe_.

Started 9/27/12 – Completed 9/27/12

A/n: So yes, Tristan is here to stay awhile. I promise this is Merthur, but as he doesn't get to have the same trials in the past that help him grow up, what will get him to mature is not being able to get the girl he wants and having to mature and become a better man for Merlin, yeah? So yeah, Tristan/Merlin will be ongoing. Also, these chapters are being purposefully synchronized with the original fic, so if you want to know how Tristan and Merlin fit, read "The Day the Whole World Went Away."

To emmahere: I'm glad you liked this whole basis (and the original piece it was an offshoot from)! You see a bit of why Arthur stood her up, Uther shows a bit of his reaction (but that's not all), and let's just saw he's grounded, getting the cold-shoulder (plus ice glares from Morgana and Gwen), and a lot of trouble from Lancelot (ahem, Lance). Yes, Tristan was a surprise, but I hope a good one to everyone? I'm glad you liked his initial appearance though.


	4. It's Okay to Not Be Okay

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur, Current Tristan (de Bois)/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)…

**The Day the Whole World Slept**  
_Chapter Four: It's Okay to Not Be Okay_

She hadn't called any of them since. No calls, no messages, no visits. Merlin had been avoiding the Pendragon family as if they had the plague. Even at school, as Morgana had complained to him many a time since Merlin had started to avoid them, she would avoid Morgana and Arthur and seemingly disappear whenever they were in distance.

Merlin had gone from being a constant in his family's life, in _his_ life, to being nonexistent.

Uther, in return, had withdrawn back to the person he used to be. Indifferent and working more than ever. Unsocial. Easily irritable at times. Reserved and quiet. Alone and Lonely. Blank.

He spent late hours at his office, like he had before she came into his life. He spent long trances in his dark bedroom, staring at his late wife's picture and then having fitful sleeps when he wasn't awake. He'd always spent time with his kids before, trying to be a good father in the absence of their mothers, and had set aside at least family time on Sunday…but when Merlin came, he found he'd been more motivated to spend more time with his family and try even harder to be there for them, and not drown himself in his work. Now he'd gone back to before, and maybe even a little worse.

When his wife had died, every day he kept going on he felt like he was dying just a bit more. And then Merlin came along and she was like Ingraine and he saw a little bit of himself in her…and it was like someone had taken both of their genes and created this girl so eerily an almost perfect combination between him and his wife. And things were better.

He hadn't felt like killing himself any more (for despite what he'd said to Merlin that night, he'd had suicidal thoughts before, just not then). He tried harder to pull himself out of his perpetual slump, the never-ending depression he was stuck in, and this dispassionate haze he could never clear up before Merlin came along.

And now she was gone and he felt like crawling down a dark hole and never resurfacing ever again.

That was why he was in front of her home, on a Sunday afternoon he usually reserved for his kids, and staring miserably at her door.

If he remembered clearly, Gaius had said his sister had gone out to a weekend conference in Dallas, concerning a medical discovery (on Gaius' behalf). So Merlin was all alone and he wouldn't have to suffer the embarrassment and awkwardness of confronting Merlin about this in front of Hunith, particularly if he had started to embarrassingly bawl or worse –break down in front of Merlin completely.

Bracing himself, he knocked on the door and it was opened to reveal a surprised Merlin. She looked like she just woke up, which wasn't too surprising considering it was Sunday and a day most people liked to sleep in on. She wore a long tank top that said 'Tired? Depressed? Angry?' and had an image of a pill at the hem that said 'Fukitol -1000mg', that he couldn't help smiling at, and short cotton shorts. She was also wearing the fluffy bunny slippers Morgana had teasingly bought her last year.

"Uther? What are you –"

"May I come in?" Still, he was happy that she was increasingly getting better at saying just his first name.

She nodded and let him in and he awkwardly walked in, glancing around the modest home. Despite a long time knowing Gaius, and even Hunith, he'd never been here before. It was very homey and comfortable, and he immediately felt relaxed, especially with little reminders of Merlin everywhere he glanced at.

"I –"

He cut her off again, looking at her pleadingly.

"Don't cut off the rest of the family. Don't…don't stop talking to me, please."

Merlin blinked at him, caught off guard by his impassioned plea. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I understand your anger at Arthur," he started quietly. "He is my son and I love him dearly, but I know what he did was a…_jerky_ move," he awkwardly phrased it. "And I'm not here to plead on his behalf. He needs to own up to his mistake and make it up to you himself. I just…don't shut out Morgana or myself at least. We-we miss you. We need you…_I_ need you," he hesitantly admitted.

God, that was probably creepy. He was old enough to be her father and _was_ the father of her two best friends her age, and the way that could be interpreted as…But he couldn't help it or even understand where all these strong feelings for her were coming from or why he had them.

Bitterly, he mockingly thought a past life of his must have known Merlin from somewhere and was as close to her as he wanted to be.

Then again, maybe he_ had_ been her father in a past life.

"Mr. P –Uther," she stared at him in surprise, rather shocked. But she smiled grimly and reached out to gently touch his arm. Her other hand reached up towards his face, fingertips brushing tears he hadn't noticed from his eyes.

He blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of them and mask having had them at all, and then he wiped a hand down his face to get rid of the tear tracks as well.

"Ingraine is gone. I don't know what to do after her. My children don't need me. They're fine by themselves. _I just don't know what to do with myself_," he told her in frustration.

"Live your life," she said softly. "Be happy."

"Then come back," he asked her miserably.

She nodded reassuringly. "Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd feel like this. I hadn't meant to hurt you all. Come here," she pulled him into a hug and ignored his shaking body and the quiet sniffling that was muffled against her, or even the wetness she felt against the side of her face and on her shoulder.

When he pulled back, he gave her a small smile and then started rummaging around his pocket, taking out a small bottle.

"Do you have some water? I missed taking these in my rush to get over here," he asked tentatively.

"Yeah, yeah," she went to get him a glass. "I'm sorry. I should've offered in the beginning."

"No, we kind of got sidetracked –_I_ kind of just blurted everything out first," he brushed off her apology.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are those for?" she got a glass and filled it up with water.

"They're…they're my antidepressants," he muttered, trying not to look at her.

She paused and glanced at him, before finishing up and heading over to him, handing him the water without another word. He took two pills out and swallowed it down, drinking water after.

"My, uh, psychiatrist tells me that these should be a better fit for me than Zoloft," he weakly joked.

She sat down at a seat at the island counter, biting her lip as she reached over it and took the medications from him, reading the label 'Celexa'.

"You don't need 'em," she smiled feebly at him. "You got me, right?"

Uther laughed, making her relax. "Yeah, I do. Only, I don't suppose I can tell my psychiatrist that, can I? Actually, I hope you don't mind –I haven't really spoken to my psychiatrist about you. It would be…it would look weird…It wouldn't look right, us. I mean, she would probably think it…strange," he ended up slightly upset.

She understood where he was getting at and nodded sadly.

"I know. Anyways, forget that. Tell me what's been going," she gestured for him to sit across from her at the island.

He sat down slowly, thinking about everything, and then they talked for a long while about what went on in each of their lives while she'd been avoiding him and his family.

"Merlin, what…what happened that night Arthur didn't show up?" he asked tentatively, but he was more worried about what she had to go through and wondering about the next day and her strange request of him.

She fidgeted uncomfortably before divulging in him her rather rebellious night, and that she'd slept over some unknown man's (the same man she'd gone_ gallivanting_ with the night before) home and spent the _entire day _with him. He stared at her incredulously before standing up abruptly.

"Merlin! How could you?! That was so irresponsible and you could've been really hurt! What if he'd been a-a-a killer? Or a rapist! You –"

"I wasn't and he isn't!" she interrupted angrily. "Look, you aren't my dad –"

He cringed and she backed down, seeing him deflate as he sat back down.

"No –no, I didn't mean that," she inwardly winced.

"No, you did. And you're right. I'm not. I don't have a right lecturing you," he mumbled.

She sighed. "I _didn't_ mean it, I swear. And you were just being worried for me, I get it and I appreciate it a lot. Uther, my dad's an asshole. He left me and Mom a long time ago, before I was even born. As far as I'm concerned, I only know one person as a dad, and the only one qualified is standing right in front of me. _That_ I _do _mean."

Uther gave her a shy smile that she gazed fondly at.

"I just…I just worry. And I don't want to see you hurt. And despite everything, I still wish you'd get together with my son and really be part of my family," he told her honestly. "I'm sorry Arthur did what he did. I wish he hadn't. Lord knows, I want more than anything for that night to be taken back and I could've done something to have been able to make that night magical for you. I just want that fairytale ending and we were all happy and together," he confessed his embarrassing and rather sappy desire.

To his surprise, Merlin blinked back tears and put her head in her hand, glancing away from him in pain before jerkily and upsettingly facing him. Her lips trembled as she tried to find the words she wanted to say, and she gazed at him soulfully.

"Uther, I love your family. I do. And no matter what, I will always count you all as part of my family and that I'm part of yours. But Arthur _really_ hurt me. I have _loved_ your son, even if I didn't know it, from the moment I met him in 4th grade. He was my _fairytale prince_. Even when he became a prat, I wanted to be with him –even if I didn't _trust_ being with him. I can't –I can't do it. I can't be with him, not now. It just really hurts, Uther. I feel like breaking inside sometimes, because my ideal of him has finally completely shattered and I don't want to be hurt like that again.

"It's not okay, Uther. _I'm _not okay. And even though, even now I still feel a lot for him, I can't be with Arthur. I _like_ Tristan. I really like him and he makes me feel good. He makes me feel wanted and cared for and even loved. He's sweet to me. He's kind and he's considerate of what I feel, of what I want, of what I _need_. Arthur isn't want I need right now, but I think Tristan is. Please let me have Tristan just for now. Let me have him," she practically started pleading with him.

Uther looked pained at that, but nodded reluctantly.

"Okay. But if he hurts you, I'll make him pay. And I'll work on Arthur," he promised. "Just…tell me his last name."

"Why? You going to get a background check on him?" she slightly joked, though she knew he was probably seriously considering it then.

"Maybe," he smiled halfheartedly.

"De Bois, I think it was," she told him then and watched as the water he'd sipped at to calm himself was choked on. She worriedly went to his side and rubbed his back, while he tried to get himself back to normal.

"Tristan de Bois?" he asked faintly.

"Yes, why?" she became wary.

Uther rubbed his neck unsurely. "Merlin…that's…that's my _brother_-in-law. Tristan's Ingraine's brother."

Her mouth opened up in an 'o'.

"Well, that's unexpected."

Uther chuckled disbelievingly. "Yeah, 26 year old dark haired, blue-eyed business man?" At her nod, he continued. "Yeah, that's him."

"…Oh. I see," she leaned heavily against him, slightly dazed at the new information. He wrapped an arm around her waist to help support her and keep her steady. "Then…could I ask…how is he? I mean, what kind of man is he? Is he…is he really that sweet, is there something I should know?"

And despite wanting to scream that Tristan de Bois was a horrible man, he was a cheat, a liar, anything to discredit him and keep Merlin wary and away –he couldn't lie to her, not when he was just wanting to protect her and didn't trust anyone else with her, and he'd desperately hoped it would've been his son that had gotten the chance to be with her.

"Tristan is…he's a good man. He's honorable, cares greatly for his loved ones, and wouldn't hurt anyone or anything if he could help it. He's honest and he's a stubborn fellow at times –he was a bit of a womanizer," he revealed and watched her face become crestfallen. "Having a different girl every other day…but he doesn't seem to have a string of girls to hang on his arm this past two weeks. Hadn't actually, since…since the night Arthur stood you up and the two of you apparently met. I guess you…you make him faithful."

He could see her smiling happily at the island countertop, and despite wishing someone else was making her happy, he really was glad to see her like that.

"I guess I do," she murmured. "I hope I do."

He squeezed her tightly before letting his arm fall to his side.

"So, uh, I have to head back. I kind of sneaked out of family time over at the mansion to come see you. We were marathoning Bond today –I left with the promise to bring back more ice-cream we've been pigging out on all day," he looked at her and asked with his eyes, _'Do you want to come?'_

'_Will Arthur be there?'_ she steadily looked back.

He got his answer without it being expressed, though he really wished she would come over that day and just hang out, like before.

"This Friday, do you want to sleep over? Morgana will love it and be extremely happy. She misses you. As have I," he shifted nervously.

"Will Arthur be there?" she asked aloud this time.

"No, he'll be staying over at Leon's then," Uther hurried to reassure her. Well…he would just have to find a way to get Arthur to decide he'd sleep over Leon's before then. "So?"

"Yeah, that would be nice."

He was practically beaming at her when she said that. Standing up, he leaned over and tenderly kissed her forehead. He did make a note that he would have to schedule a time to have a little talk with Tristan though...

"You told me to be happy –you too, okay?"

She nodded and led him out of the door. He turned at her doorstep, giving her a happy smile, and then reluctantly walked to his car and away from her. From there, he got the ice-cream and hurried home, putting two cartons into the freezer and then tossing Arthur and Morgana their refills. He took his French Vanilla and dug in, eating in silent comfort as he watched Pierce Brosnan avoid the laser beam aimed at his head.

He took a glance around the room and noticed again, the space between them all. Morgana sat in her recliner, avidly watching the movie but pointedly ignoring Arthur and keeping a distance between them. Arthur was less into the movie, but still watching as he watched with a tense body and a sulky look on his face. Even Uther himself had sat away from them.

It wasn't an unusual thing, for all of them to be sitting away from each other. But now the awkwardness was now accompanied by intense hostility, made more obvious by the wide berth around Arthur. But Arthur had earned it and no one had any heart or motivation to patch things up.

He had grounded Arthur. Indefinitely. He'd also taken away Arthur's cell phone and replaced it with a company phone that had nothing in it but contacts. No TV, no hanging out with friends (but strictly kept to studying diligently in his room), no parties, no driving anywhere but to and from school (unless given permission from him), no computer unless for school (and would be monitored by Uther), and just nothing at all.

He'd, unable to help himself, also grown increasingly irritated and agitated with Arthur when it became clear Merlin was avoiding them. The longer she did, every day that she had, he couldn't help but become increasingly aggravated and hostile towards his son, and would easily snap at him.

But even though Arthur was genuinely repentant and upset at what he'd done and that he'd ruined his chance with Merlin, he didn't understand Merlin's avoidance or his family's decidedly hostile feelings and behavior. He didn't get that there were consequences to actions, and that he had to take responsibility for himself.

Uther had not taken his son to task (part of him had hope Arthur would figure things out for himself) apart from the grounding and taking away of things, or given him the lecture he'd been itching to give. Instead, Uther had been giving his son the silent treatment and the occasional glare. However, in a few moments he would be ending up getting to do his long-awaited lecture that would probably escalate into him becoming extremely angry and upset.

"Could you guys cut it out? You're being childish!" Arthur snarled out, standing up and angrily turning off the television in the middle of the scene where Halle Berry was having a standoff with the double agent.

"_We're_ being childish?" Morgana screamed, getting up as well.

"What did you just say?" Uther's quiet voice cut through and both teens turned to stare at him. He was still sitting down and was looking at Arthur with a blank face. Morgana sat back down and quietly kept still, not wanting to interrupt. She kept the urge to berate Arthur herself, knowing Uther would soon be doing that and much better than she ever could. But though she forced herself not to participate, she definitely wasn't going to leave and miss this.

"I –"

"You don't have the right to speak!" Uther snapped, glaring dangerously at his son. "You don't even understand what you've done and what has become of it."

"I know!" Arthur yelled back in frustration. "I get it! I hurt Merlin and I was a total jerk! But she'll get over it! She'll understand –I was being stupid like usual, and made a mistake. It was just a stupid, dumb mistake. I'll make it up to her and everything'll be fine!"

"You _don't_ get it!" Uther hissed, becoming even angrier with the ignorant words his son just spouted off. "When you hurt someone, it doesn't just get brushed off! She won't just 'get over it'! There's no 'understanding' about it! When you make mistakes, sometimes those mistakes can't be taken back and they can't be forgiven! Mistakes happen, but that doesn't mean that there won't be a fallout! You don't get a pass for being stupid, for being a jerk! There are no excuses for such behavior! You don't get to be a jerk, for doing stupid _shit_ and expect things to be okay and not have consequences.

"I didn't raise my son to be an idiot ignoramus! I didn't raise you to be some spoiled, moronic imbecile who thinks it's okay to hurt someone they care about! You were taught to _cherish_ the ones you love! Especially…especially since after your mother," Uther's voice broke and he had to look away from his son for a moment. "Things aren't okay, Arthur. Merlin _hates_ you."

Arthur's face paled, but it was Morgana who spoke up.

"You spoke to her? When?''

"Earlier. Before I picked up the ice-cream," Uther revealed, voice deadened.

"She…she hates me?" Arthur asked in disbelief.

"Don't talk to her. Don't come _near_ her," Uther warned his son, narrowing his eyes at him.

And then he turned sharply on his heel and strode away, going into his home office and slamming the door behind him. Morgana quietly got up from her seat, gathered Uther's left behind carton and spoon as well as her own, and traveled to the kitchen where she put away the cartons and then washed the spoons.

"Huh. Didn't know Uther could curse," was all she could manage to say.

* * *

When Uther had left, Merlin had closed the door behind him in complete exhaustion. She'd rested her forehead against the door and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to steady herself and calm down. Still a little upset, she grabbed her phone and dialed Tristan's number, trying to ignore the fact that –in the little time she'd known him –she had quickly put his number at speed dial two and her favorites, just right behind Uther.

"Hey –so I don't want to come off as clingy or some kind of needy type of girlfriend or anything…but I really need you right now," her voice grew hoarse with unwanted tears she tried not to spill. "Please?"

"Merlin? I'm on my way. Where are you?" he immediately answered her.

She told him her address and she hung up, sliding against the door to sit against it in a slump on the floor. Thirty minutes later, her doorbell rung and she lethargically stood up, seeing him through the peephole and opening the door to him after.

"That was fast," she smiled weakly at him.

"I rushed. Probably broke speeding laws and ran a few red lights, but it wouldn't matter to me anyway. Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked her, more worried about how upset she looked and why she'd called him so urgently.

She brought him in and closed the door, burrowing herself immediately into his arms after. Instead of pushing for answers, he held her closer and murmured soft assurances into her ear, trying to comfort her, even if he wasn't sure why or what she needed comfort for.

She then brought him to the couch after she'd calmed down some, and blurted out everything about the night he'd met her. How she was finally having a date with a boy she'd really liked, and had for the longest time, only to be bitterly disappointed. And she told him how she'd been avoiding him and his family, how the boy's father and strangely her closest friend had come to visit her and pleaded her not to distance herself. She spoke about her feelings about everything, even about how she'd felt for that boy, though she was sure Tristan wouldn't have wanted to hear about her feelings for another guy.

"I don't get it. Is there something wrong with me? Am I not pretty? Am I too boring? Am I –" she just started rambling in tears, when he put a finger to her lips and stopped her.

"You're perfect the way you are," he said seriously. "I can't see you as boring, having spent time with you and just feeling alive every moment of every day I'm graciously allowed to spend by your side. You're _beautiful_. I'm so glad that he never showed up that night, because he missed out and I was able to get to know such a wonderful girl. He wasn't there, and instead I was. I know you still have feelings for him, but…I make you happy, don't I?"

She gave a half smile, feeling very grateful for him.

"Yes. Yes, you do."

"Then so long as I make you happy, you have me to be there instead," he promised her. "And even when I don't, I'll probably be like a parasite and hang on to you, sobbing like a baby," he grinned lightly. "And handcuff myself to your car or something, while I'm at it."

She laughed through her tears and smiled at him thankfully.

"I just…I just want someone to tell me it's okay to not be. Okay, that is," she looked at him, knowing she probably looked pathetic.

"And it is okay," he told her sincerely. "You don't have to be. And I'll be there for you when you are…and when you aren't."

Then he kissed her and she felt like all her worries, doubts, and fears just simply melted away.

Dream Arthur wasn't real. Real Arthur wasn't a prince. But she had Tristan.

And he was as close to a knight in shining armor in real life.

Merlin was more than okay and happy with him.

Started 10/7/12 – Completed 10/7/12

A/n: Well, there you have it. I finally had Uther blow up at Arthur like y'all have been waiting for. And sorry –more Tristan/Merlin. Deal with it if you don't like, because he's staying around for awhile.

To Guest: I'm glad I did! Yes, this modern!AU (is it really AU? XD) is, I hope, going to be really different and unique to the others out there. He is, as you can see, still Igraine's brother –although here he'll be the youngest, as opposed to the other fic where he is the oldest. Uther and Arthur are definitely going to meet him, I can promise that. Especially since he'll be with Merlin for awhile. Well, they know him and have met him, just not as Merlin's boyfriend. More of Uther's POV here and here was their 'discussion'. Or more yelling. I try to reply to everyone, so it's no problem :D


	5. The Storm's Brewing

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur, Current Tristan (de Bois)/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)…

**The Day the Whole World Slept  
**_Chapter Five: The Storm's Brewing_

Merlin hummed happily, treading lightly on the kitchen floor on bare feet as she moved around. She grabbed a popcorn packet and set it up in the microwave before turning to face Tristan, who was watching her move around in amusement.

"I was wondering," she finally started to say, slightly sounding nervous. "What am I? I mean, what am I to you? What are _we_? I know I…I joked…compared myself to not wanting to be some kind of clingy girlfriend on the phone earlier…but…am I? Your girlfriend? Not-not to be presumptuous or something," she hurriedly added.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Presumptuous? I wouldn't think so. As for girlfriend? Well, I would like…to have presumed that." He looked hesitantly at her. "Unless I've been mistaken these past two weeks? In that case, _I'm _the one who's been presumptuous."

She blinked at him, inwardly rather relieved. "No. I'm just happy to have that cleared up, and not be so unsure where we stand. I know you've really been there for me since we met, despite the fact that we _have_ just practically met…but I wasn't sure about that."

He grinned slightly at her, walking to her side and leaning over her shoulder, stopping the microwave just as it pinged! and signaled the popcorn was ready. She distractedly whirled to face it and took out the bag, blowing at the bag cutely to help cool it down as she pinched the top with the tip of her fingers. He couldn't help fondly giving a full grin as he watched her. He left her to open the bag and transfer the contents into a bowl, traveling over to the radio and fiddling with it, his grin at once becoming bittersweet and yet also rather contented hearing Coldplay's _Fix You_ come on.

Striding back over to her side, he plucked the bag from her and pushed the bowl away.

"Your mom's not here, right?" he asked her, surprising her with the question.

"Yeah…she's gone 'til tomorrow, and my brother's with his new girlfriend. Why?" she tilted her head adorably and he had the hugest urge to crush her to his chest and hold her tight.

His grin became a small smile. "I think it would look odd if I decide to suddenly kidnap her daughter."

"Kidnap?" her jaw slightly dropped, brow furrowed in confusion.

He tossed the bag of popcorn lightly back to the kitchen counter, but away from them.

"It's dinnertime and popcorn isn't dinner. I can't cook worth a lick and there's no way I'm going to make you cook when I'm the one supposed to be treating. So I'm taking you out," he took one of her hands and threaded his fingers through hers. "What do you say?"

"There's…there's a burger joint down the block that I like," she suggested shyly, turning a light red. "It isn't costly and…well, we can just sit there and be together," she looked down, feeling rather embarrassed. He would never choose to go to such a small and cheap place, or do such a simple thing with her…

"Great," he beamed at Merlin, surprising her. "Let's go."

He gripped their clasped hands tighter and led the way out, the both of them laughing and enjoying themselves as they ran out like little kids, grabbing jackets on their way out as they decided to just travel on foot and spend the time walking there together.

"_And I will try to fix you~"_

The song continued playing in the kitchen, left on and forgotten by them.

Of course, as much as he'd have liked to have spent the night in her room, he had work the next day and she had school. There was also that who knew when her mother was coming back, and Merlin had yet to introduce him to her. Or to anyone important in Merlin's life actually.

He'd have to work on that.

His phone vibrated, alerting him to a text and he smiled as he saw it was from Merlin. Yesterday had been wonderful, but he was looking forward to more time with her.

_Hey, I forgot to tell you something yesterday. It's really important. See you later?_

Wondering what it was that was so important and that she'd forgotten to tell him about, he text back an affirmative and waited for his day to be over so he could come over and see her.

Technically though, he should have known that things would go off course like usual. It always did.

Otherwise, Uther Pendragon's visit wouldn't have caught him off guard like it did.

Uther, himself, had been both dreading and looking forward to this confrontation. He'd locked himself in his home office after his spat with Arthur and had been practically tearing his hair out about the situation.

The shock of finding out that Merlin was casually dating his brother-in-law started to finally wear off and then he realized it.

_Merlin_ was dating _Tristan_. _Dating_. And that blew his mind and he finally started to freak just a bit more about the situation than he'd initially had.

There was a nine year age difference between the two in the first place. Tristan was already a grown man, already successful in the business world and plenty of world experiences on his belt. Merlin was still in _high school_. She'd never even been on a date before until the one with Arthur, failed though it was –until Tristan came swooping in to save the day, like some kind of knight from a fairytale or something.

And then he remembered the smile Merlin had on her face as she talked about Tristan and he faltered in his thinking. He'd never seen such a sweet and genuinely _happy_ smile on her face before, not even when it came to Arthur. And, though he hated to think it, Arthur wasn't really deserving of such a smile at the moment, so he knew he had to grit his teeth and accept it.

Because she'd _never_ looked happier and all he'd wanted was her happiness.

He dazedly spent almost an hour on his computer before he realized Morgana had somehow managed to break into his office. He stared at her.

"This place is locked. How did you…?"

She shrugged. "I stole the key you gave to Merlin for her to use for whenever you end up locking yourself up in here. Don't worry; I'll give it back to her when I finally get to see her."

Her voice was obviously bitter about him getting to be the one who saw Merlin first and was able to talk to her. He winced.

"Well, I promise she won't be avoiding you anymore," he gently told Morgana, who slightly relaxed.

"At least you finally use your evil powers of persuasion to do something useful," she smirked slightly and he rolled his eyes.

"I don't have evil powers of persuasion, and I did no such thing to her," he huffed.

"Yeah, yeah. What are you looking up?" she curiously looked over at his computer and he reflexively moved the monitor out of view.

Her eyebrows flew up and she stared. "Oh? Are you looking at _porn_, Uther dearest?" she teased.

"No," he immediately denied, becoming flustered but glaring at her all the same. "I'm just…researching. Age differences."

"_Age differences_? Why on earth are you looking that up?" Morgana remarked in astonishment, before becoming mischievous, shifting the can of soda in her hand with a touch of teasing. "Unless, don't tell me you're interested in a younger lady, Uther?"

Uther flinched. "_No_." He sighed. "I…it isn't really something for me to tell, and she'll probably end up telling you the whole thing later on anyways, so I could probably say the basics…but Merlin is dating an…older man."

Morgana spat out the soda she'd been drinking, drenching Uther's wall (thankfully bare). Uther cringed in disgust and looked at the desecrated wall with a look of revulsion, scooting his chair away from it.

"An…older man," Morgana said faintly, hand blindly reaching out and searching for a chair. She sat down on it heavily, gazing off dazedly. Her head suddenly snapped over to him and she looked at him intently. "Is that really okay? I mean, Merlin's barely really known these kind of things, and for her to be dating an older man –aren't you worried? What if this guy, someone who clearly knows more and has more experience, wouldn't you worry about him taking advantage of her or-or-or pressuring her into things? Especially _those_ kind of things?"

Uther miserably slumped in his chair before reminding himself of Merlin's smile.

"No," he told her, voice surprisingly decisive. "I'm not worried. I even know him. _You _know him," he held up a hand to stop her inquiries. "I can't say. Merlin will tell you anyways, you just have to be patient for her. And it's a long story anyways. Just…you didn't see her. She was really happy, Morgana. Don't ruin it for her. As much as I'd like differently, I don't think Arthur is the right person for her right now."

"Or deserve her," Morgana said bitterly.

Uther sighed at her reaction and her words.

"I'm trying to be supportive for Merlin," Uther smiled gently at her. "I don't want to push her or make her unhappy, and as far as I'm concerned, right now this person is doing a good job with her and I don't want to mess that up." He gestured at his computer. "So I'm trying to find 'age difference' relationships that work and reassure myself this can work. And keep an open mind."

Feeling a bit lost, Morgana dragged her chair next to his and readjusted the monitor back to normal.

"Well, let's get reading," she mumbled.

"Surprisingly, age differences aren't all that uncommon," he commented idly, in a daze again as he thought about it. "Regular people, and even more common as people get older. It's become kind of a trend nowadays too…And _celebrities_. I mean, do you know how old George Clooney is and Stacy Kiebler?"

"It's George Clooney," Morgana deadpanned. "He's untouchable. He doesn't count."

"But _still_."

"What are you reading anyways?" Morgana changed the subject, looking at the screen. "It looks like a comic."

"Did you know," he started out, sounding as if this astounded him beyond belief, "there are comics, mangas or something, that have age differences as pretty common?" he blinked at her and she had to stifle a laugh at how thunderstruck he seemed over the fact. "And the girl's _16_ in here, while he's 26. Same age as Merlin's boyfriend."

"Well…he's cute," Morgana remarked about the male protagonist in the story. "At least he is. Is Merlin's boyfriend cute? That counts."

"Morgana!"

They spent the rest of the night trying to read and watch what they could, with Uther reluctantly reassuring Morgana that Merlin's boyfriend was "cute." Which was very odd and uncomfortable for him, considering who exactly Merlin's boyfriend was. But Morgana was persistent in the matter and he had to get her to stop somehow…

And now he was heading over to Tristan's office, unsure of what exactly he was going to say. He knew for sure that he had to guarantee a warning in there somehow, and make sure that Tristan was actually serious about Merlin while he was at it.

But strictly speaking? How was he going to confront Tristan about dating a girl who wasn't even his daughter, especially with the strained relationship that he had with him in the first place? Things were no longer hostile between he and Tristan, but he also knew they weren't exactly the best of friends. Ingraine's death had really torn things apart between them, more so when Tristan lashed out and initially blamed him for her death.

This wasn't going to be an easy talk, no matter how he looked at it.

* * *

"So…I thought you weren't avoiding Pendragons anymore?"

"Tch. I'm not. But just because I'm not doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to abandon you and stop hanging around you, you know?"

"Hmph. Stubborn little brat."

But Merlin could tell that, by the small twitch of Edwin's lips upwards, that he appreciated and liked the gesture. She, herself, had gotten quite attached and fond to her science teacher, snarky, broody, and ill-tempered (and a real smartass about everything) though he was. Those were just quirks of his and just how he was, and she'd gotten quite used to it.

Especially as, in the time she'd been actively avoiding Morgana and Arthur at any turn, she'd been hiding in the library where Edwin was stuck being a sub there in his free time outside of class, because the actual librarian was on maternity leave. Since he had let her hide in there (especially during lunch) and there was nowhere else she could think to go or anyone else to be with, she ended up being stuck there and with him.

And even now, though she'd promised Uther to stop avoiding the whole lot of them, she still liked and didn't mind continuing to hang out with him.

"Class is soon. Finish your sandwich and get out," Edwin told her in a bored tone. "I've got class to teach too."

"Yes, sir," she mock-saluted.

She practically gobbled up and stuffed her face with the rest of her sandwich in retaliation, cheeks puffy with food and making her look like a chipmunk as she looked at him smugly. Instead of the gobsmacked and exasperated reaction she'd been aiming for, he burst into guffaws and doubled over in laughter, laughing at her ridiculousness. She inwardly pouted and vowed vengeance, conceding she lost this minor battle to him.

"I'm getting going," she rolled her eyes. "See you later."

Edwin waved lazily, but had gone back to focusing on his book again and therefore hadn't looked at her. He flipped a page and then made a note with his pen, before he was startled (though he'd never admit or show it) by the loud thud of something against his table.

"What is it now, Mer –" he began to drawl as he looked up, but shut his mouth quickly with a loud click. "You…what the _fuck_ are _you_ doing here?"

The beautiful woman laughed lightly, arrogantly tossing her dark hair behind her.

"Edwin, how cruel. You're the one who'd gone and meddled with things first. Why can't I join in the fun?" her blue eyes twinkled in mocking amusement.

He shut his book with one hand, standing up abruptly as his other hand clenched by his side.

"Bitch," he insulted directly, glaring at her. "The hell you want? And you're the one who was driving her crazy in the beginning of the year, appearing out of nowhere. Technically, that makes you first."

A vague smile played across her lips.

"Don't mess around with my plans, and I won't mess around in _yours_," she taunted.

"Hello?" a voice interrupted them. Edwin inwardly groaned as Morgana Pendragon strolled into view, holding up a book. "Sorry, Mr. Muirden, but I wanted to turn in this book before class started."

Morgana looked at the woman beside him curiously, but didn't say anything as she handed over the book to him.

"Hello there," his current companion greeted suddenly. "I'm Nimueh. I'm going to be your new Social Studies teacher."

Edwin almost reacted to that, but managed to control himself in time to look normal and as if that hadn't been news to them. But shit, Nimueh was now working at the same school as him and Merlin, and evidently going to start "working" more in the open.

Things were getting more volatile.

Meanwhile, Merlin had left him to head over to her locker. Which was exactly where Arthur had finally managed to corner her, wearing a cocky smirk and looking confident and eager to right things and get a second chance.

"Hey, Merlin. It's been awhile, huh?" he tried to get them started on the right foot.

Merlin only gave him a bland stare. His smile faltered before returning strong.

"So, about that night…I was an idiot. I know. I'm really sorry. But you know I get like that, right? I just get dumb sometimes. Let me try again. We could go out tomorrow –"

"Is that supposed to make it better?" she bit out, though had meant to not talk to him at all. "Being dumb? Are you expecting to easily get a second chance? And does another date supposed to fix everything and erase what happened before?"

He stared at her dumbfounded.

"I thought so," she said quietly. "I wish the roles could be reversed and I was a boy asking you out, and then leave you hanging and being watched and whispered about somewhere and feeling absolutely humiliated. But then _you're_ just a boy and wouldn't understand, right?"

She slammed her locker close and shouldered her backpack more, turning on her heel and walking away from him. He stared after her, still taken aback, but then upset and frowning to see Merlin pulling out her phone and look at something at it, immediately becoming incredibly happy and smiling like he'd never seen her smile before.

Who the _hell_ was making her smile like that?

He felt something hard get thrown at his back, and he yelped as he turned around and spotted his sister glaring at him, phone out and directed at him for some reason. She came closer and grabbed her purse (which was what she'd thrown at him), before huffing and she started to sneer.

"Idiot," she slung the insult at him. "And you're not supposed to be around Merlin, remember? Dad warned you off."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't just going to leave it alone, was I?" he snarled at her. "And he's not going to know, is he?"

Morgana sniffed in disdain at him. She held up her phone and then clicked a button. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, before his eyes widened and it was his turn to glare angrily at her.

"You recorded that and sent it to him?! What the hell?! Why would you do that? What's wrong with you?" he lunged for her phone, even though it was too late and the video had already been sent to his father.

"Because I'm pissed at you and you keep acting like a dumbass," she hissed out. "I hate you so much right now. _And _you ruined a perfect opportunity for me to finally talk to Merlin."

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her. "God, you're so freaking unbelievable. I wish you would have just stayed with your mom."

Morgana shrieked, never mind the stares that drew to them, and started angrily hitting his arm.

"Don't _ever_ mention that bitch to me ever again," her voice turned shrill. "Don't talk to me, you bastard!"

Morgana turned and stomped away from him, and the hallways started to finish clearing out as everyone headed to class.

Arthur stood in the middle of the empty hallway, the bell ringing and signaling he was late.

Started 10/16/12 – Completed 11/21/12

A/n: Well…initially, I was going to have at least the Tristan versus Uther confrontation in here…but I guess not? XD Next chapter then. I think Arthur will find out then or in the next chapter, not sure. I really like Tristan though. For some reason, he's like…my Christian Grey or something. Heh. MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

To Guest: Thank you! I'm really starting to look forward to Arthur finding out. I'm like eager to just write his reaction and his obvious freak out. I'm definitely going to make him suffer though! It's a lesson in humility he's gotta learn…

To emmahere: I'm glad you liked that chapter so much! I've loved writing that bit of Uther and how just honest and sincere his feelings were, and a little insight into his head. As for Tristan, in canon he was Ingraine's brother, so he'd be Uther's brother in law, and I decided that even in reincarnation some things don't chance :D


	6. Incoming Darkness

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur, Current Tristan (de Bois)/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)…

**The Day the Whole World Slept  
**_Chapter Six: Incoming Darkness_

Tristan wasn't looking at him. In fact, the man was pointedly focusing on his work, shuffling papers around and looking dispassionately at his computer every once and awhile. Despite allowing his secretary to allow Uther into his office, he had yet to acknowledge him.

"Are you going to just stand there all day or are you going to tell me what you came to see me about, Uther?" Tristan asked, voice neutral.

Uther took a deep breath and pushed away the unreasonable guilt he always felt whenever he was around his brother-in-law. This was about Merlin. He had to keep focus and forget about the problems between him and Tristan, and think about Merlin.

"I wanted to talk to you about Merlin."

He could see Tristan visibly freeze up, before he turned and finally looked straight at Uther, face both furious and confused.

"How do you know about her?" Tristan demanded.

Uther steeled himself. Right now, he had to not be the hesitant and repentant brother-in-law, but look out for Merlin's best interests and protect her. He couldn't shirk away like he usually did with Tristan, but be as demanding and exacting as he was with everyone else.

"She's Morgana and Gwen's friend, and overall an important and close family friend," Uther answered. "But that's not important. What is is that you are dating her, and I'm not exactly comfortable with that. I know you're a good man, but she's still in high school, she's 17, and she's never really been with someone before and I'm not so sure she's ready for something like this or being with someone like you."

Tristan stared, dealing with the bombshell he'd just been dealt. Honestly, he hadn't expected his new girlfriend to know and be on close terms with part of his family. It made things slightly easier in that when introducing her to them, but made things also odd and awkward as she was already part of the family, and he hadn't really known or had met her before his separate and rather intimate meeting with her individually. And also that they seem already very close to her…

"I…I'm not looking to hurt her or rush her into anything," he finally said, and he was looking straight into Uther's eyes and his tone had become less unfriendly and guarded, and a little more open. "I really like her. I honestly care for Merlin, Uther."

Hearing it made Uther feel so much more relaxed and relieved about this odd setup. And the fact that his brother-in-law was actually acting less passively hostile towards him seemed a miracle and a good surprise, and it was all over Merlin (who seemed to be the cause for everything that seemed to be going right in his world).

"I swear I'm very serious about her, Uther," Tristan said quietly, voice very firm and determined.

Uther nodded hesitantly. "That's good to hear. I just…I know I'm not her actual father, but I really care for her as well and I just want her to be happy. She's…very important to the family. Please take care of her, Tristan."

"I will," Tristan promised. "Although, I'm just wondering now…Arthur wouldn't happen to be the one that stood Merlin up, did he?" his tone darkened at the end. "Because if he is, you're going to have to keep my nephew away from me for a very long time."

Uther winced. "Trust me, he's not on anyone's good list right now. He's in very hot water and he won't be getting out of it any time soon. He knows he did something very stupid and moronic, sort of."

"I don't even want to ask about that 'sort of,'" Tristan scowled. "And you weren't there. I was. She was really hurt."

"God, I know. She told me. And it's probably worse, seeing her like that, like you had," Uther muttered. "I wasn't there, but you were. And I admit, it's a…good thing you were," he reluctantly said, as that truth was at the cost of Merlin getting hurt and Arthur's chances with her.

"The family reunion is coming up soon," Tristan said warily, watching Uther carefully. "I had been hoping to bring Merlin along with me as a date, and was planning on introducing her to everyone there as my girlfriend…"

Uther sighed and halfheartedly shrug. "Go ahead. Better sooner than later, when the truth'll come out either way. And you're not ashamed of her, right?" At Tristan's raised eyebrow that clearly said 'are you kidding?', he continued. "I do think there should be a small family dinner beforehand, just to have Arthur and Morgana know the truth ahead of time. Better for Arthur to blow up then, than make a scene at the reunion. I can't predict Morgana's reaction, but I'm pretty sure she'll be alright or eventually be."

"Morgana always did have a good head on her shoulders," Tristan commented. At Uther's look, he went on. "Minus her lovely temper, of course," he added sarcastically.

"Well, since that's settled…" Uther said awkwardly, thinking it was best to retreat finally.

"I've got a lunch break coming up. Do you want to go get coffee? It'd be nice if you could tell me about Merlin from how you've known her," Tristan offered and though Uther was surprised, he accepted happily.

At least Tristan finally got to meet someone close to Merlin, and that he probably knew what exactly it was that she'd wanted to tell him.

He text '_I love you_' absentmindedly to Merlin, not realizing the exact words he automatically sent over.

Meanwhile, back in school, it was the second to last period for the day. Merlin was eagerly waiting for school to be over so that she could meet up with Tristan, feeling on a high after the text he'd sent her. She hadn't expected that, for him to say _those_ words. Although technically he didn't say them –but it still counted to her.

"Hello, class. I'm your new teacher," a new voice popped Merlin out of her happy daydream, and she sucked in a sharp breath at their new teacher.

It was her. It was that woman.

The one she thought she'd imagined, who she thought had been hit by a car.

But it couldn't be. She'd finally come to the conclusion she imagined the whole thing, and had just been in a lot of stress back then. And yet, here she was now, electric blue eyes, secretive smile, and a mesmerizing stare. For some reason she seemed to look at Merlin a lot. It was disturbing and she was hard pressed to say it was all coincidence.

The class went by and seemed deceivingly normal, but Merlin wasn't fooled. There was something different in the air, something had changed. She felt on edge the whole time in class, and though she couldn't see it or catch it, she just knew that Miss Nimueh was somehow watching her the entire time.

When she left that class, she was in an unreasonably bad mood and had gone to Edwin's class completely tense and angry. She sat in her usual seat, scowling and glaring at nothing and everything, and she gave off a furious air that had people avoiding coming near and defined a space around her.

Edwin glanced at her with furrowed eyebrows, and yet he wasn't surprised. He could even guess what the matter was somewhat. He began the class and taught in his usual manner, before he left them to do bookwork.

Merlin got started on hers, before being surprised with writing suddenly appearing on her desk.

_Merlin, calm the hell down._

Startled and freaked out, her head shot up and she stared at Edwin (because she so recognized that tone as his). He wasn't looking at her, but was writing down on some notebook. It wasn't his usual one though, the one he was always reading and writing in.

She looked back down and saw more words appearing.

_Don't look so freaked out. You'll draw attention._

Biting her lip, she forced herself to look normal and tentatively wrote on her desk.

_Is that you, Edwin?_

_Yes. Now let me guess, Nimueh has your hair standing on end, doesn't she._

It was a statement, not a question, and she was surprised that he'd known without her saying anything.

_Doesn't matter. Don't bother with her right now. I need you to take deep breaths. Follow after me, alright? Breathe in. And out._

And he really needed to get her to calm down, because the sky was darkening rapidly outside and it was all the cause of this little sorceress who didn't even know she was the cause.

He coaxed her through the breathing exercise and she finally felt better and in more control of what she was feeling, than she had before. Edwin glanced outside and inwardly sighed in relief at the normal weather.

_Get to work and then come see me after class._

She apprehensively did so, uncertain about what was going on and still alarmed about the communication. Class ended much quicker, it seemed, than it had for Nimueh's class (which had seemed to drag on). She slowly put her stuff away, stalling as much as she could, before the room emptied and then it was just her and Edwin. She approached him cautiously, not sure what she should expect. He was staring back at her intensely.

"How far along are you on that formula I gave you in the beginning of the year?" he asked after a tense moment.

She winced. "I kind of forgot about it," she muttered.

He sighed. "Now, more than ever, you must solve it. And quickly. She won't let you get away a second time again, Merlin. She won't."

Why did she get the feeling he was talking about Miss Nimueh?

"Be careful, will you?" he murmured, frowning.

"I will," she unsurely promised, feeling on guard and worried.

"I mean it, Merlin," he insisted, looking deep into her eyes. "You mustn't take this lightly. Solve it quickly and be vigilant. This time around, the whole world may be at stake –and not just a kingdom and your precious King."

She stared at him. She had no idea what he was talking about, but what he was saying was alarming and upsetting her.

"O-okay!" she said before cowardly running away.

She'd made it outside of the school before she finally slowed down. She couldn't help looking around her frequently, as she headed home. She wasn't sure what she was keeping watch for, but she was unable to help feeling trepidation and wary of her surroundings. When she was home, she made sure all the doors and windows were locked, before she headed to her room and began rapidly rummaging through it, trying to find that piece of paper Edwin had given to her in the beginning of the school year.

She let out a sigh of relief when she finally found it, glad that she hadn't accidentally thrown it away and that it was still intact and in perfect shape.

"Now how the hell am I going to solve you?" she muttered to the thing, frowning to herself.

Her phone suddenly rang, making her jump as it scared the hell out of her. She answered it quickly when she saw it was Tristan, automatically relaxing and feeling relieved to be able to hear him. When she found out he was coming over, she was ecstatic and even invited him to stay for dinner and to meet her mother. He sounded really happy about that.

Soon enough, he was there and smiling warmly at her.

"Hey," she greeted him happily, letting him into her home.

"Hey yourself," he kissed her lightly. "You wanted to tell me something earlier?"

"Oh! Right. Come in and sit in the kitchen," she led him there. Once seated, she began. "Um, I hadn't known until recently but…um…yourbrotherinlawislikemypseudodadand –"

"Woah, wait a second. Slow down and don't panic. It's fine. Whatever you have to tell me, I'll be okay," he gave a reassuring smile.

She took a deep breath. "Your…your brother-in-law, Uther? He's like pseudo-dad to me. And his son was the one I was supposed to be on a date with that day, and Morgana is my best friend."

Tristan nodded, surprisingly not looking surprised.

"I know," he told her.

She blinked at him. "What?"

"I found out this morning that you knew part of my family. Uther came to my office this morning to warn me and we talked," he explained to her, and she couldn't help rolling her eyes fondly. Typical Uther. And it was so like him to be so protective.

"Anyways, that was all I wanted to tell you. I just wanted you to know and I didn't want to seem like I was keeping it from you or anything. I swear I just found out literally yesterday."

"Really, it's okay," he squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you told me. And I'm really happy you're letting me in more, particularly letting me meet people close to you, like Uther –though I know him already –and your mother. I'm very looking forward to meeting her tonight, especially as your boyfriend. That is, if you're introducing me to her as that?"

She nodded and gave him a look, but he just grinned sheepishly shrugged.

"Just making sure," and he was very happy about it too. "I do have something to add though." With her questioning look, he continued on. "Uther suggested we have a family dinner, to let Arthur and Morgana know about the two of us. We have a family reunion coming up soon, and I'd been planning on asking you to come with me then. However, to avoid the two finding out then and making some kind of scene, we thought it best if maybe we could have something small and private to get it out of the way?"

Merlin frowned, but she leaned on him and held onto his arm as she thought about it.

"I'll go to the reunion, but…can I let you know by the end of tonight about the dinner? I really don't want to deal with Arthur and his reaction," she reflexively tightened her arms around him.

"I won't let you deal with him, if you don't want to," he promised. "I'll make sure to be nice and polite, and if things get too bad, I swear I'll take you away."

"Thanks, Tristan. I still want to think it over, but I guess it doesn't sound too bad," though she still sounded a little dubious about it.

"Okay. Whatever you want," he murmured, hugging her comfortingly.

When Hunith came home, Merlin smoothly and proudly introduced Tristan to her mother, who was only minutely surprised before openly embracing and welcoming Tristan to her home and family. That and that Merlin hadn't stuttered or hesitated about him, made Tristan reassured and pleased about their progress together, and leave out any doubts about their relationship. When dinner was over (and it was a very lovely and warm dinner), it was about time for Tristan to head home.

On the footsteps of her porch, the two kissed and Tristan brought up the text he hadn't meant to sent and had only seen what he had typed only later.

"Merlin…you know, earlier, I sent you a text that had some really heavy words," he murmured.

She felt anticipation build up in her and she looked at him questioningly, though inwardly worried about what he had to say about it.

"I hadn't meant to send that text," he admitted, and she tried to keep her disappointment to herself. "But I don't take them back."

Merlin was surprised, but extremely happy and relieved to hear that. And when she let him kiss her deeply, she thought to herself that maybe she was falling a little in love with him herself.

Started 2/18/13 – Completed 2/18/13

**A/n: This has been done for awhile, but "The Day the Whole World Went Away" was trouble writing for the next chapter (and I like updating these two fics together). Really sorrryyy! (puppy eyes) And part two of my birthday updates, so please review as a birthday present? Ahaha~**

To onceandfuturecat: Thanks! I really loved matching the two stories up and showing the parallels between the two :)

To emmahere: Haha, thank you! And yeah, I thought it would be an Uther thing to do. As for Arthur and Morgana finding out, you can see it'll be really soon ;)

To Guest1: Thanks! And I'm sorry it's taken so long to update! Hopefully, it won't take as long next time.

To Guest2: Heh, I love your reaction :D And that Tristan's so well liked. I can promise you that there will be a lot of Tristan/Merlin to come for awhile, at least.


	7. Can't Take Back the Unspoken Words

Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.  
Story: Merlin's life should've been easier. She was just a high school student, friends with rich kids Arthur and Morgana Pendragon and Gwen Jennings, kind maid to the family. And yet, it isn't –not when she's suddenly best friends with depressed Uther Pendragon, father to Arthur and Morgana, and a woman named Nimueh keeps testing her. It doesn't help to think she's the reincarnation of the famous wizened old wizard of Arthurian legends and she keeps dreaming about it. Parallel semi-sequel to The Day the Whole World Went Away.  
Set as an AU, genderbending fic, and future!fic/reincarnation!fic.  
Spoilers: I'm not sure anymore, since I'm going off path here. So be careful…? Definite spoilers for my original fic though…  
Warnings: Hm, I need to think about this time.  
Pairings: Eventual Merlin/Arthur (maybe? Haha), Current Tristan (de Bois)/Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/?, heavily implied past-Uther/Ingraine, mentioned one-sided Gwen/Merlin, one-sided Morgana/Merlin, slight Edwin/Merlin (mostly one-sided), slight Nimueh/Merlin (mostly one-sided)…

**The Day the Whole World Slept  
**_Chapter Seven: Can't Take Back the Unspoken Words_

"This is very strange," Tristan admitted. "But it actually looks a little familiar."

Merlin blinked at him, completely surprised. "Really?"

Tristan took the paper from her and held it up. "Yeah. I don't know why, but it just does. And also, it kind of seems like…an old language. European in nature. Somewhere in that area –the written words and style…Old Welsh maybe. Old Gaelic…I can get this translated with one of my programs, if you want? My company does this kind of thing all the time –one of the departments takes care of it."

"Could you really? I didn't think it'd be possible or if you could really help me with it," Merlin asked, feeling relieved. "It would mean a lot, Tristan. I think it's supposed to be important."

"You _think_ it's important?" he grinned, teasing her.

Her face flushed slightly red and she smacked his arm lightly. "Punk."

"Of course," his eyes were practically twinkling at her.

"Hey…is it really alright I came here?" Merlin asked nervously, picking at her clothes. "This is where you work. I don't want to get you into trouble or anything, or get people to start talking about you because of me. I mean…rumors or something, and if you want, you could just pretend I'm your little sister or something…"

"Stop rambling," he smiled softly at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "One, I don't answer to nobodies and I wouldn't care what the hell they're saying. Two, I'm the boss, so I definitely don't care what they would say and I wouldn't be getting in trouble from anyone, even authorities, given I'm not breaking any laws. To hell with rumors. Everyone can just go f –"

Merlin slapped her palm over his mouth and raised an eyebrow, gaining a smug look in return. She rolled her eyes and removed her hand before he could get the smart idea to lick her hand or something equally inane to mess with her.

"Haha," she replied dryly.

"Anyway, thirdly, you dressed as maturely as you usually act," Tristan pointed out, trying to reassure her. "You look much older than you are."

"I do?" Merlin asked eagerly.

Before he could answer her back, there was a knock on his office door. The two of them turned to look at it in surprise. After a quick look at Merlin, Tristan bid the person to enter and saw his secretary Will open the door.

"Sir, I have some paperwork for you to sign," Will held up the papers.

"Alright, hand it here, Will," Tristan sighed.

Accepting the papers, Tristan gained a thoughtful look before pulling Merlin over to his side and addressing Will again.

"Will, this is Merlin," he introduced her.

Startled, Will offered her a warm smile quickly, once he regained his bearings.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss. I'm William Washburn, Mr. De Bois' secretary."

"Hello," Merlin shyly greeted him back.

"I've got a question for you, Will," Tristan went back to his main goal. "How old do you think Merlin is?"

"Sir?" Will was taken aback. So was Merlin too. They both turned to look at him.

"Just answer the question," Tristan insisted.

"Er…young, I suppose. Twenties? Early to mid?"

Now that caused Merlin to look at Will in surprise.

"Good guess," Tristan looked smug. "17 actually."

Will's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh! Er, I'm quite sorry for the mistake, Miss Merlin, Mr. De Bois. Is she a new intern?"

"Nope. She's my girlfriend. Now out with you, Will, and it's back to dreary work for the both of us!" and yet Tristan sounded cheery as he ushered his secretary and friend out the door.

Closing it, he turned back to see Merlin staring at him in shock.

"Was that really a good idea?" she asked worriedly. "Telling my age and especially with telling him I'm your girlfriend?"

"Of course," he brought her into his arms and held her in reassurance. "I'm not ashamed of you," he murmured.

Her face burned hot.

"You know, it's best to get it out now. Slowly get this place used to that fact," Tristan mused quietly. "Let the information go public on our terms, given that there will probably be media problems about it."

"The media?" Merlin's eyes widened and she leaned back from him, so she could stare at him in panic.

He winced. "Given who I am and well," here he looked uncomfortable, "I did…use to spend my time with different women…lots of women," she couldn't help but scowl at that and instinctively grab tighter onto Tristan possessively, before blushing and lightening her hold. He was rather more pleased about her reaction and tightened his hold instead in return. "It's been a long time since my usual activities. It would be long noticed by now, that I _haven't_ been seen out with a different woman every other week."

Embarrassingly happy that she was the one to break his habit and that she _was_ the only woman in his life like that, she was still rather wary and uneasy about having to deal with the media knowing about her and possibly bothering her about herself and her relationship with Tristan. He noticed.

"And don't worry about the press too much," he tried to soothe her worries. "Honestly, between Uther and I, I wouldn't be surprised if the press are too afraid to even be within a foot of you."

Feeling a little bit better and less worried, she decided to push it aside for now and leaned into him, soaking in his presence and warmth.

"So, before our inevitable dinner of doom tonight, what should we have for lunch right now?" Tristan asked her.

"Something that'll prepare and steel me for seeing and interacting with blond prats that I have no wish to really be near right now," she muttered into his chest, further burrowing herself into him at the thought. "Preferably something that will knock me out and excuse me from tonight."

Tristan laughed heartily and hugged her close.

"How about I make sure to include a huge dessert?"

"…Okay."

Merlin was really not looking forward to seeing Arthur Pendragon that night and dealing with his idiocy.

And…she just had this sinking feeling in her gut…

* * *

Football practice had become a time of patience and withheld ill-tempers.

Lance had kept trudging through them with an irritable air, and he particularly directed his ire at Arthur. Since that time with Merlin's so-called "date," Lance had been pissed off at Arthur. He wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of the other boy, but he wasn't the type to get violent and physical with someone. So he'd been trying to give the other the silent treatment and cold shoulder.

But he was so angry at the other and it was hard holding back from throwing a punch into the other's face.

Merlin had ended up getting a boyfriend anyway, though he had yet to meet the man. Well, face to face. Honestly, it had been a bit weird to get a call from the guy out of nowhere, a little after the time when their mom had been introduced to Merlin's boyfriend. But Tristan, as he'd introduced himself, had told Lance that while he couldn't meet him just yet, since he was waiting for Merlin to make the official introductions on her terms, he had wanted to make a small introduction to Lance, since he was Merlin's brother and someone she cared about.

Lance kind of liked the guy.

Before that, he hadn't known Merlin had a boyfriend at all. All he knew was that Merlin kept going out and was being secretive about something, and hadn't wanted to talk about it to anyone. He'd assumed it had something to do with Arthur and what happened, and decided to give her as much space as she'd wanted.

He was a bit worried, since Tristan seemed much older than Merlin, but he really didn't want to say too much because his sister was all smiles around the home, and she seemed so happy –unlike before.

Gwen was being a great help and support to him, and patiently listened to him rant about Arthur and his worries about Merlin (and now about her and her new boyfriend). He'd probably of cracked long ago, if it hadn't been for her.

Practice was just finishing up, he realized, and he hurried to get into the locker room. He saw Arthur laughing with Leon on the way and his eyes darkened angrily.

He clenched his hand painfully and once again withheld the urge to punch his lights out.

* * *

Uther was extremely nervous. He really wasn't counting on how this dinner would actually go, and was just hoping for the best.

But he knew his son, and he knew Arthur had the Pendragon temper.

He'd already informed his kids that their Uncle Tristan was coming over for dinner, and aside from some minor complaints from Arthur about being forced to stay home and endure it, that was just ignored and the whole of them were getting ready for it.

He hadn't mentioned anything about Merlin's presence.

So when 8 o'clock was reached, the doorbell rung and both Morgana and Arthur had been there as he opened it, and were both surprised to see Merlin hovering shyly by Tristan's elbow.

"Merlin! What are you doing here?" Morgana cried out happily.

"I invited her for the dinner," Uther interrupted, and he saw Merlin looking relieved.

"You two must've run into each other, huh? Hey, Uncle Tristan. Long time no see. Merlin," Arthur greeted Tristan lazily, while giving Merlin a smirk.

She quite obviously ignored him, while Tristan politely greeted Arthur hello. Neither of them bothered to correct Arthur on their presence at the door together.

Morgana, on the hand, was growing more and more curious about this sudden visit from their Uncle Tristan, considering last she remembered he and Uther were on strained terms and weren't likely to have any sort of family meal with each other. She was happy to see Merlin though, even when she wondered why she'd been invited to this family dinner –not that the rest of them didn't consider Merlin family, minus stupid and prattish Arthur. It was just that Uncle Tristan hadn't met or even known about her before then. Maybe Uther had wanted Merlin's support and presence while trying to meet with their uncle, taking into account the two men's troublesome relationship?

As they sat down at the dinner table and began serving themselves the food that was laid out, everyone made idle chatter and tried to ignore the awkwardness that surrounded them. In mid-dinner, Morgana finally snapped and was the first to speak up and try to figure out what was really going on.

"Okay, there is obviously something going on," Morgana put down her utensils on her plate with a loud clack! and then stared down the two men at the table. "Speak up or forever hold your peace," she said sarcastically. "And don't hold back for Merlin's sake –she's practically family."

The two men looked at each other, before Uther took the initiative.

"Er, actually, this has nothing to do with the two of us," he surprisingly revealed.

"Yes, we actually made up over coffee and a girl," Tristan added dryly.

"A girl?" Arthur's eyebrows flew up.

Before the other two could reply, things took a stranger turn as Merlin broke into the conversation.

"I'm dating your uncle," she blurted out, shocking them all.

For a moment, everyone was silent and frozen still. And then Morgana took one look at Merlin and then at her uncle, and smirked.

"Well, hey! I guess you were right, Uther –Merlin _is_ dating a cute guy," her smirk widened gleefully and Tristan tossed a confused look over at Uther, who avoided looking at anyone.

Arthur abruptly stood up, his chair skidding back. "This is a joke, right? It's not a really funny one! Really, guys! If you're still trying to teach me a lesson and tell me how stupid I was before, fine! But this is really too far!" he shouted furiously.

Morgana raised an eyebrow at him, while Uther looked at him blankly. Merlin was glaring away from him, as Tristan watched him dispassionately.

"If it's a joke, I'm not in on it," Morgana sniffed disdainfully at him. "Unfortunately," she added with a slight pout.

To make it worse, Tristan reached over and grabbed Merlin's hand, holding it tightly and without looking away from Arthur.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Arthur blew up. "Come on, Merlin! You really can't be serious! He's our uncle! He's-he's way too old for you! It's _disgusting_!"

Merlin flinched violently, while Tristan pursed his lips. Uther had been about to interrupt and reprimand Arthur and try to calm things down, when Morgana decided to cut in first.

"Hey, Merlin still actually gets to officially be brought into the family! Too bad she'll be taking on the De Bois name, instead of Pendragon though."

Without warning, Arthur grabbed his cup of water and doused Morgana with the water. The next moment was utter chaos as everyone was scrambling out of their chairs and shock at the occurring events was spreading rapidly.

"Shut up, Morgana! Stop trying to make it worse!" Arthur screamed at her.

Morgana looked absolutely furious, face wet and hair drenched and weighed down.

"I'm not the idiot who let her go and keeps making everything _worse_!" she was practically hissing at him.

"At least I'm not a _cuckoo brat_!" Arthur yelled back.

Everything went quiet at that, though Merlin wasn't sure why. All she knew was that Uther was looking at Arthur in _betrayal_, Morgana looked so, so hurt, and even Tristan looked taken aback. Arthur, just Arthur, still looked enraged.

"That was uncalled for," Tristan glared sternly at Arthur, but Merlin could see his breathing was labored, Uther was blanking out, and Morgana was _crying_. There were actual tears streaming down her face.

"I don't want to hear anything from you, cradle robber," Arthur spat out.

Tristan reeled back, flinching even worse than Merlin had earlier, and was tightly holding Merlin to his side –almost painfully, though she barely noticed, too in shock at what was happening.

"This was a mistake. We shouldn't have come," Tristan said quietly, finally releasing Merlin from his side, and instead reaching to gently hold onto her hand.

He started to leave the dinner table, and Merlin followed after him, wanting to just get out of there. But Arthur wasn't done yet and had strode towards them quickly, desperately reaching out and grabbing onto Merlin's arm, stopping them before they could get too far.

"You can't do this, Merlin._ This_ is a mistake. You can't possibly want to be with him," Arthur was squeezing her arm, and unlike before with Tristan, she noticed the pain quite easily.

"Arthur, let go. You're hurting me," she whimpered.

But Arthur wasn't listening, too intent on trying to make her see clearly. "Don't be thick, Merlin! Besides, he's a known womanizer! You can't possibly trust him not to run off with someone else! Hell, he's probably just playing around with you! Can't you see that?!"

Tristan finally had enough and yanked Arthur away from Merlin, trying to make sure to do so without further hurting her.

"That's enough, Arthur. You're hurting her," he growled, gently pushing Merlin behind him to make sure she would be okay.

But Arthur responded by throwing himself forward and punching him in the jaw, making him stumble off and be a little dazed, while Arthur tried to storm back towards Merlin. But Tristan regained his bearings quick enough, that he managed to catch Arthur midstride, grabbing the front of the teen's shirt and harshly shoved him back, causing Arthur to tumble back and fall onto the floor on his backside.

"I swear to God, Arthur," Tristan snarled. "My dear Igraine's son or not, I _will_ deck you hard if you keep rushing towards Merlin and scaring the crap out of her, _nephew_."

With that, he gently took hold of Merlin again, and tenderly steered her out of that mess.

Uther lifted his head and saw Morgana rush out of the room just at that time, and his son still sitting on the floor. He slowly stumbled up, bumping into the still half-full table and making quite a bit of noise that he simply just ignored. His son looked over to him, but Uther didn't even look his way as he blankly walked away from the table and out of the room. He just felt too tired for anything right then.

For a moment, he regained his senses and he worried about Merlin and Morgana, and wondered how his two girls were taking things. He wondered who he should go to first, and remembered that Merlin was with Tristan and felt relieved, and knew that Tristan would take care of her. So he searched out Morgana and fretted dully at her disappearance, wondering if maybe she ran away and was staying with a friend or something.

But then he looked out and saw Morgana outside, in the backyard and sitting with her legs to her chest on the patio. He trekked outside and sat down next to her, sitting still and quietly with her. She sniffled once and Uther turned towards her. Her face was still a little wet and he used his hand to wipe away the stray wet droplets. He gave her a blank smile and kissed her forehead.

"Darling, you know I love you, right? No matter what, you will _always_ be my daughter," he murmured.

Her lips quirked up and she leaned a little bit into him. He hummed a little before squeezing her once and then starting to move away.

"Uther?" Morgana stopped feeling a bit miserable and became a little worried.

He felt…outside of his body.

Uther gave a small smile and stood up. "I just feel a little tired, is all. I will see you tomorrow, Morgana."

And then he began the oddly longer than usual walk to his room, where he slipped under the covers and lifted them over his head and buried himself under completely, hiding from the world. Then he remembered.

Ah, his antidepressants.

He would need them after such a trying and exhausting night that left him miserable and empty.

* * *

"Oh dear, this is all so amusing," Nimueh laughed, watching her scrying bowl in amusement.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the happenings, do you?" Edwin's voice cut through the silence, and she turned to see him at the door to her classroom, watching her warily and tensed as if waiting for an attack.

"Not at all," she laughed again. "I haven't influenced a thing! And that's what makes all this even more entertaining. They're self-imploding all on their own!"

Edwin scowled and chanced a few steps closer. "You're a nuisance."

"Am I?" she watched him with half-hooded eyes.

Forewarning wasn't necessary as she knew just when he would attempt the attack, and flung up a shield to protect herself. Edwin cursed and rapidly fired spell after spell at the sorceress, who blocked most of them and dodged the rest, while retaliating with nastier curses.

Edwin had just jumped out of the way of one of her attacks, when he realized too late that it was a misdirection and ended up hit by the real attack. He bit back a scream, refusing to show any weakness to her.

Nimueh tutted mockingly at him, but didn't really care. "Ah, but isn't lightning one of your and your little protégée's favorite attacks?" she asked contemptuously.

"Yeah, actually, it is," he surprised her by replying wittily, grinning madly.

With a flash and bang!, the whole area lit up and Nimueh felt lightning scorch her skin. Screeching, she cast a powerful shield that reflected the rest of the attack, but when the room cleared, Edwin was nowhere in sight.

He'd managed to buy himself some time with that attack, and he leaned against the wall outside in the courtyard of the school. He coughed up some blood and hunched in on himself as lightning arced through his body.

That had been incredibly stupid.

He had never been a match for Nimueh. She had been more powerful than him back then, and in this time, where his powers were weakened and bound, Edwin was still definitely no match for her.

He'd just been hoping he could get rid of her before she could do any damage to Merlin.

* * *

Tristan had taken her to his home, intending to finish off dinner there. They'd finished quickly, but everything was silent and tense. Tristan had been in the middle of making her hot cocoa to cheer her up, when he finally spoke.

"Are you alright?"

"There have been better nights," but she managed a small, if tired, smile.

He returned it reluctantly. "I'm sorry you had to be in the middle of that," he muttered. "It shouldn't have exploded in front of you."

Merlin fidgeted, but asked, "What did Arthur mean? About Morgana?" because she didn't want to focus on the insults directed towards her and Tristan either, and Morgana's pained face still seemed fresh in her mind.

Tristan sighed and brought her mug over to her, sitting himself next to her before he began to talk.

"Morgana isn't Uther's actual daughter," he revealed, and Merlin was shocked. She knew it had been odd how Morgana always referred to Uther by name, but she had always assumed it was because she had grown up with her mother and stepfather. "It's…very complicated," Tristan grimaced.

Merlin patiently waited for him, reaching over to hold his hand and squeeze in encouragement.

"Do you know what a cuckold is? Symbolically?" he asked quietly, and she shook her head. "A cuckold basically has its meaning based around the cuckoo birds and their mating habits. Hence, Arthur calling Morgana a cuckoo brat. Relating to humans, historically a cuckold is a husband with an adulterous wife."

Merlin's eyes widened and she was still so confused and there were just so many questions whirling around in her head.

"It can also be applied to a male who's investing parental effort on a child that's not even theirs, probably not even knowingly."

Merlin's heart just about stopped and she was staring at Tristan, mind halting to a blank.

"Morgana's mother, Vivienne, is a real head case," he muttered. "Clinically, everyone knew she was bipolar, which truthfully, Morgana might have inherited from her," he winced. "But that really didn't excuse Vivienne. Being bipolar didn't make her who she was, and wasn't a good justification for the things she did and how she was. She was cruel, selfish, and downright manipulative," he said ruefully.

Merlin didn't think she'd like this Vivienne woman.

"Everyone knew that, for the longest time, Vivienne had really wanted Uther," Tristan revealed yet another head-turning revelation. "Gorlois, her husband," _'And Morgana's father,'_ Merlin added in her head, "willfully turned a blind eye to his wife's pursuits. And yet, somehow, one day she'd managed to ensnare Uther and they'd had a brief affair, which resulted in the birth of Morgana."

That made Merlin sit up straight. "Wait, I thought you said that Morgana wasn't Uther's actual daughter?"

Tristan glared at the tabletop. "We don't actually know for sure. You see, for a few years, until Morgana was six, she'd been brought up by Vivienne and Gorlois, and everyone thought she was his daughter. And then, all of a sudden, Vivienne claimed Morgana was Uther's and revealed the whole entire affair. She didn't have proof and Uther and Igraine just accepted it and asked for full custody of Morgana, and Vivienne surprisingly granted it. Morgana moved in with Uther and Igraine, and has lived with the Pendragons ever since."

"Why doesn't Uther just get a paternity test then?" she asked curiously.

Tristan took a small sip of her hot cocoa and it seemed to perk him up a bit from the morose air he had been exuding.

"I don't think it really mattered. Uther is just the type to accept responsibility unquestioningly and when it was claimed that Morgana was his, he took her in without another word. And he loved her in either case, no matter the truth. Morgana was his daughter, whether or not she truly was by blood. And before he developed the love he had now, in the beginning, there was just no way he was going to leave Morgana in the hands of someone like Vivienne, and even Gorlois who couldn't just reign in his wife. Taking an actual paternity test would result in having her returned to those two, if it turned out she really wasn't Uther's, and neither he nor Igraine were going to chance letting Morgana go back.

"And so, when you think about it, Arthur's words could have meant either Uther or Gorlois. Uther raising a child not his, Gorlois raising a child not his for awhile…and along with having a wife like that…I don't know who Arthur meant, or if he really meant to imply an exact person in his statement, but in any case, it's not even supposed to be brought up at all. There's a spoken agreement that it's not supposed to be talked about, and I don't know what he was thinking, bringing it up."

Merlin swallowed harshly and felt uneasy.

"There's more, isn't there."

Tristan rubbed the bridge of his nose and nodded. "We say _affair_, but the truth is far from that. All other family members know what happened, and depending on whom, they'll call either or both Uther and Gorlois cuckolds, depending on who they believe is Morgana's actual father. However, that's as far as they know things. To the immediate family members involved, Uther and Vivienne didn't quite have an affair. It was more like…rape."

Merlin jolted forward, forgetting the table, and hurt herself on it, as well as accidentally shaking her mug and spilling hot cocoa over the table. Tristan went to get some paper towels to clean up the mess, but Merlin could only stare after him in disbelief.

"Only Uther, Igraine, Vivienne, and Gorlois know the exact happenings, but I and some others know enough," he said quietly, not looking at her as he mopped up the mess. "Apparently, Vivienne had drugged Uther's drink. Gorlois, whether or not he actually knew what it was for, was the one who supplied the drug. She'd been hoping to make Uther see that they belonged together or something, but it obviously didn't work. Even the whole Morgana thing was some ploy to get Uther, and separate him and Igraine. Vivienne hoped the knowledge of an affair and that Uther having a child with another woman would be enough to make Igraine upset and divorce Uther, as that's what usually happens when that happens, but Uther had long already told Igraine beforehand of what had happened. _Entirely_ what happened. Needless to say, Igraine had been disgusted with both Vivienne and Gorlois and didn't hesitate to tell me or our brother Agravaine about most of it.

"On the other hand, it's kept to being an 'affair.' None of us wanted the media craze, the legal problems, none of that to bother us. Uther didn't want to bother with any of it, and he didn't want it to bother Igraine. And he didn't want to drag the kids into it either. It was all just…swept under the rug. And the rest of the family didn't really need to know the whole truth, because the less people who knew, the less chance it could get out to the public and spread the scandal. There was enough trouble hiding Morgana's problem within the family, we didn't want to add to it. And well, family can be cruel on their own. The judgment and gossiping is enough with just an affair scandal being known. The truth would have caused disgrace."

That made Merlin frown. How could anyone think badly of Uther and Igraine in this?

"We don't talk to them or avoid them if we have to be near. Even though I had previously been on bad terms with Uther, I still kept to that and refused to be anywhere near those two," Tristan sat back down next to her, looking exhausted.

"They're still together? What do you mean if you have to be near them?" Merlin scrunched her eyebrows.

"They are still together," Tristan confirmed. "And…well, Gorlois is Uther's cousin."

Merlin winced. "Oh."

And then she remembered the family reunion they still had to go to.

She winced even more. "_Oh_."

Suddenly, her phone rang and she glanced at it in surprise. Reaching for it, she could see Morgana's name on the caller id. She grabbed for it and answered.

"Hello?"

"Merlin! You have to come to the hospital! Uther's overdosed on his meds!"

Started 12/26/13 – Completed 12/28/13

**A/n: Um, sorry for the cliffhanger? Yeeeah…Haha, heavy stuff in here (crickets). Oops? Anyway, thanks for the birthday greets, everyone! Not much to say other than I might have trouble updating because of a two month work assignment, but I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please review?**

To Ellana: Curse away :) I'm glad you really liked the story! I get worried about it because of how odd it is, but the support is just great. I just really loved Tristan in here, though I can't believe Arthur is turning out to be such a jerk XD He just can't help making it worse for himself. And it's alright you didn't review before –it's hard to connect the two stories, since they're very much different. With kind regards back :D


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